(The Star) – Hair dressing salon operators are learning the hard way that gender segregation rules in Kelantan apply to non-Muslims as well. They have had to pay many summonses for allowing their female workers to cut the hair of non-Muslim male patrons, which they thought was permissible.

E-Life Hair Salon manager Ong Lee Ting said she had settled 11 summonses since she opened for business in KB Mall in 2010.

Hairy situation: Ong showing one of the 11 summonses she received for allowing her female employees to cut the hair of non-Muslim male patrons.Hairy situation: Ong showing one of the 11 summonses she received for allowing her female employees to cut the hair of non-Muslim male patrons.

The fines were imposed under Section 107(2) of the Local Council Act by-laws which prohibits a woman from cutting the hair of a man and vice versa regardless of religion.

“I have been paying fines of between RM200 and RM350,” said Ong, who was issued the latest summons on Tuesday.

“I find the by-laws confusing … they should not apply to a non-Muslim woman cutting the hair of a non-Muslim man.”

Gender segregation is among the controversial regulations imposed by the PAS state government, which insists that the rule be also observed at supermarket check-outs.

The last time Ong went to the local council office to pay a compound, she was told that the licence for the salon would be revoked because of the many summonses issued to the operator.

However, council secretary Mohd Anis Hussein said: “As long as they (the salon owners) pay the compounds, they will be allowed to operate.”

He added that the salon owners understood the by-laws and the consequences of ignoring them.

Nice Hair Salon manager Alice Ong Lee Ruong was baffled by the rule.

“I would understand it if we were fined for allowing our women workers to cut the hair of Muslim men. But they were attending to non-Muslim men,” she said.

Ong, who had settled 10 summonses so far, wondered for how long she would have to pay fines.

“They are not cheap and we have to consider the high rental, salaries of our workers and other expenses,” she said.

Another salon manager, who declined to be named, said the council by-laws were making life difficult for hair dressers.

(The Star) – The DAP wants the Kelantan government to intervene in the municipal council by-laws prohibiting women from cutting men’s hair in the state.

Chairman Karpal Singh said he was surprised that the state decided to enforce such a ruling on non-Muslims.

“The state government has publicly declared that Islamic laws will not be extended to non-Muslims. PAS has also stated hudud will only be applied to Muslims.

“There’s a lot of concern among the public on what has happened in Kelantan. If hudud is allowed to be applicable to Muslims, there will come (a time that it will) be extended to non-Muslims,” he told a press conference in Air Itam on Saturday.

He was responding to reports that hair salon operators in the PAS-ruled state were being fined for breaching the by-laws which prohibit a woman from cutting the hair of a man and vice versa.

Karpal Singh said the ruling was unconstitutional and could be challenged in court.

“In fact, it should be challenged in court. Those concerned should not pay the fines. It is unlawful.

“I hope that the PAS leadership will intervene and do something about it as soon as possible,” he said adding that Barisan Nasional should not be presented with issues that it can exploit now that the general election is looming.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Anything and everything BUT ending the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA eh? Karpal has become the Hairdressers/Barber’s Association President or State Chinese Association Prsident now? This sort of case is even below the Chinese or Indian Chamber of Commerce or State Chinese Association to address (while in the same breath, we must be aware that the Chinese or Indian Chamber of Commerce, State Chinese Association, probably can’t even talk about the APARTHEID oF BUMIPUTERA because they do not have parliamentary immunity – maybe a provision for them to also be granted parliamentary immunity?) , but somehow Karpal can’t talk about the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA in spite of parliamentary immunity so this is a great opportunity to look busy while the minoriites remain second class citizens . . . look here ‘Karpal’ if you don’t want to put that Parliamentary Immunity to good use, please give up that decades long seat you’re wasting the Rakyats’s mandate on, to somebody who will use the same to try to end the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA and lack of :

Is Karpal a REAL lawyer and aware of the responsibility of an MP to the people? Most Malays and Muslims, probably also the Sultans know in their hearts that apartheid is wrong and that technically in Islam the APARTYHEID of BUMIPUTERA is ILLEGAL. Why does Karpal not HONESTLY and legally challenge the racists and Islamists on these facts? Self serving much? Too many family members, too many contracts colluded on? So does the rakyat need this kind of MP or perhaps has karpal and Sons family bloc spent too much time hoodwinking the Rakyat? An MP’s job goes far beyond this hair issue, like for Human Rights Articles 1 and 18 . . . do something useful or MP-like, or GTFO of Dewan!

Mediocre! And in overall effectiveness, Karpal is but a decades long malingerer on the taxpayer dollar alongside BN’s racism and corrupted worst …

Indian leaders may jump ship if they are not picked as candidates in the coming general election, says a source.

Infighting, backbiting and sabotaging among Indian leaders in PKR could result in the party losing Indian support at the upcoming 13th general election.

The internal rift among these leaders could also play a role in thwarting Pakatan Rakyat’s ambition of taking over the federal government after the polls. The opposition pact is made of PKR, DAP and PAS.

Speaking to FMT, a PKR source admitted that there would be “major party hopping” among Indians in PKR before and after the general election.

Declining to be named, the source said many Indians in the party were waiting for PKR to officially announce its list of Indian candidates to contest under the PKR banner in the coming general election.

“If their names are overlooked as a candidate, then they would jump ship to the Barisan Nasional or quit PKR without joining anyone… they have already made plans to this effect.”

“Unlike PAS and DAP which have a long tradition and faithful members, PKR is a new set-up. Most of its members are from BN component parties. They ran from there to PKR. They ran because they were sidelined in their respective BN component parties. So when the same thing happens here, they would run again,” said the source.

He said the problem among Indian leaders in PKR is “everyone wants a seat to contest”.

“Of course, both Malays and Chinese in PKR also face the same scenario but Indians are the worst,” said the source, who is very close to the party leadership.

He said PKR Indian leaders in their eagerness to win brownie points have also resorted to “attacking” each other in the mainstream media.

Tip of the iceberg

“Some are sending their supporters to Parliament to lobby for seats. For example, I was told that more than 60 candidate profiles have been submitted for the Bukit Melawati state seat in Selangor despite the incumbent M Mutiah declaring interest in defending the seat.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. The factions in the party are heading for a showdown,” the source said.

He claimed that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had often met party Indian leaders to get feedback on ways to boost Indian support for Pakatan, but not much was done on the ground to put the plans into action.

“But, this is not enough to woo Indian votes. The Indian leaders in the party are not united. If they are, then they can put up a strong front and lobby for votes of the community. There are several camps within the party and each camp is pressuring Anwar for seats.

Mukhriz (centre bottom), is not a Pakatan MP, just included to show possible phenotype similarities between politicians who benefited from nepotism if any . . .

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Indian candidates are you idiots? Who needs to pressure Anwar? Any independent candidate can run for any seat without pressuring anyone. The whole idea of a political party is to keep all MPs captive to the supreme council. Podah!

ARTICLE 4

‘Anwar is an attention seeker’ – Friday, 23 November 2012 Super Admin

Several BN leaders are appalled at Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s attempt to get Australia to observe Malaysia’s general election.

G Vinod, FMT

An MIC leader today chided Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for seeking attention, especially with his call to Australia to observe the coming general election.

MIC vice-president SK Devamany was referring to Anwar’s move to request the Australian government recently to observe the polls, claiming there were a lot of irregularities in the electoral roll.

However, Australia’s Foreign Minister Bob Carr had rejected the former deputy prime minister’s request, saying they cannot and would not influence how Malaysia runs its election.

“It’s very hard for Australia to do anything about how they’re run, as hard as it would be for Malaysia or another government to have a say in how Australian elections are run.

“We’re not the election authority for Malaysia,” Carr was reported as saying.

Taking Anwar to task, Devamany said that times have changed and the world community is watching each other’s conduct in the information age.

“No point trying to seek attention from other people. They are watching us all the time,” he said.

As for Anwar’s accusation, the deputy minister said that the Barisan Nasional government is transparent and the former could always voice his grouses to the EC.

“He can always use his position as the opposition leader to get things done. But being the attention seeker he is, Anwar will devise new tactics to keep himself relevant.

“No wonder some Pakatan Rakyat leaders are seeking PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to become prime minister if the opposition bloc wins the federal polls,” said Devamany.

Risk of being colonised again

Echoing Devamany’s sentiments, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) president M Kayveas said that it was dangerous to get foreign powers to be involved in Malaysia’s election.

He also said that with foreign powers’ aid, the party benefiting from them would be indebted to the former and thus, put Malaysia at risk of being “colonised” again.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

To prevent the colonisation factor, NO foreign government based groups people should to be invited keep tabs on the elections, BUT *ELECTION WATCHDOG GROUPS* from foreign and Australian and other non-Western governments should instead. In fact Australian Elections and other Western nations could do with foreign watchdog groups from other countries ESPECIALLY those not particularly friendly to Australia, to prevent fifth columnists manipulating votes to the favour of their own government. Who knows what collusion goes on between governments these days? Foreign governments cannot monitor without compromising the sovereignty of the monitored state.

Instead, unaffiliated to government/unfunded by government civil society WATCHDOG NGOs favouring opposition would be safest. Anwar thus could be in cahooots with the current majority Australian government with the same feigning disinterest. Now if watchdog groups unfriendly to their respective foreign governments were to be called on as monitors, having nothing to gain, these groups would be the most objective choice. This accusation could be avoided simply by Anwar contacting non-mainstream foreign monitors instead. As for attention seeking, 2 terms as MP limits should put paid to that sort of thing once and for all. For expedience, Anwar could be tolerated for now, but the next great purging of politicians will not be those corrupt, opaque and racist (BN era) but those NEPOTISTIC and TERM LIMITLESS (PR era). This would be true progress then to prevent a Mubarak, Gaddafi or Ali Salleh from forming out of term limitless Anwars and Lim Kit Siangs or whatever groups.

(Bernama) – Lawyer Karpal Singh, acting for applicant Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, told the High Court here Friday that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 had completely prohibited the right to assemble, by way of street protest.

The senior lawyer said the provision under Section 4(1)(c) was not intended to “restrict” but more to “prohibit” the right to assemble.

“Any street protest, actually, was a moving assembly and the Act should not completely prohibit it,” contended Karpal by pointing out on the provision of Section 4(1)(c) of the Act, which he argued, was inconsistent and contravened with the provision of Article 10 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution.

He said the Act defined a street protest as an assembly that was in movement.

“Even Article 10(1)(b) clearly stated that all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably, without arms,” he noted.

He further submitted that the word, ‘restriction’, should be interpreted as reasonable restriction as stated in Article 10, and the constitution was the supreme law of the country.

“Any law passed after Merdeka Day, which is inconsistent with the constitution, should be declared void,” said Karpal, who urged Justice Kamardin Kashim to allow Anwar’s application with costs.

Kamardin set Nov 30, for respondent (prosecution) to reply to the applicant’s submission Friday.

In a related development, Anwar’s co-counsel, Ram Karpal Singh, said if the court ruled in Anwar’s favour, one of the charges under the Peaceful Assembly Act would be dropped, leaving only two charges still pending at the Sessions Court.

Anwar, 64, together with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, 48, and Rembau PKR branch chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin (third accused), 34, were charged last May 22, with taking part in street demonstrations which allegedly led to chaos in the city.

The three also faced a second charge of conniving with Tangam Raju, Rajesh Kumar Gejinder and Farhan Ibrahim, by inciting them to remove steel barricades at Jalan Raja here on the same day.

They are the first to be charged under Section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000, upon conviction.

Last July 2, the trio were charged with conspiring with Tangam, Rajesh, Farhan and five or more supporters of ‘Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 3.0)’ to defy a magistrate’s court order dated April 26, against holding a rally at Dataran Merdeka from April 28 until May 1, this year.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Excuse me. No citizen needs to ‘assemble’ or riot IF our worthless waste of time nepotistic term limitless MPs (Karpal included) make the effort to end Bumiputra Apartheid or are not corrupt. This assembly thing is USELESS and has no weight legally. The wishes of 26 million Malaysians could be stopped by 222 self serving nepotistic and term limitless MPs simply because not enough Malaysians dare to be independents, there is always 3rd Force but even 3rd Force must respect term limits and preferably allow 1-Man-1-Vote systems in ratifying laws or at least ratifying laws on a district by district level.

An MP legally challenging the inequality and apartheid has more weight than 26 million Malaysians illegally marching. Is Karpal a false flag MP? Any and all Malays and other minorities who believe in neutrality and equality by changing the ILLEGAL and DISCRIMINATIVE Constitutional clauses and laws should give term limitless farces like Karpal here the boot. I’d DROP the right to peacefully assembly in exchange for ending APARTHEID and the below 3 items. Now think, which MP is worth voting for. The one who gives you the ‘right to assemble‘ which is the ‘precursor to riot‘ (there is nothing assembling can do, so frustrated assemblers end up RIOTING) but has no effect on policy, or the MP who grants equality and end of apartheid on your behalf so you do not need to march?

Previously, we reported how Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s oppositions leader has been “framed” with several sex tapes HERE.

While Anwar Ibrahim has denied he is the porn star featured in those sex tapes, it’s very obvious these explicit videos which you can watch below and read more here, are either recorded or simply made up and released with only one thing in mind … Political Assassination.

It’s designed to end the political career of Anwar Ibrahim and to kill the fragile oppositions of Malaysia,which is fighting to boot out the legacy government left behind by Asia’s most corrupt dictator, Mahathir Mohamad, and allegation that can never be proven simply because everything including the judiciary is answerable to only one man in Malaysia ie. the Prime Minister … and yes, it’s that absurd.

The country is currently helm by son of an ex-premier, who himself is laden with all sort of scandalous allegations including corruption and even … MURDER !

I love Malaysia.

Below is the latest “satire” from a pro-government newspaper (Fact: all newspaper in Malaysia are required by law to report only pro-government news. There is no press freedom in Malaysia.)

Go here if you just wanna know more about the sex scandal.

Swimming against the tide

By Joceline Tan @ Star Malaysia

The free Rolls Royce offer to any Anwar Ibrahim look-alike out there has gone unclaimed and US experts have verified the sex video to be authentic. What now for the leader of the Opposition?

NOBODY has claimed the Rolls Royce that is currently stretched out like a sexy lady on the porch of Zamil Ibrahim’s house.

The former PKR politician does not see anyone coming forward now that the country’s most talked-about sex video has been found to be authentic.

Zamil, who is now the Kedah chief of the new political party Kita, said he decided to put his prized wheels on the line because he became sick and tired of hearing claims that the man in the video was merely someone who looks like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Posh car: No takers for the sleek and beautiful Rolls Royce which is still sitting on the porch of Zamil’s house in Kedah. Inset: Zamil who loves the Rolls Royce.

“I couldn’t take any more of the nonsense that it was an Anwar look-alike,” he said.

Zamil loves the beautiful vintage Rolls the way some Malay men love their second wives. Nevertheless, he was prepared to hand over the Rolls to the person whom Anwar’s supporters claimed had been the Anwar look-alike in the video. It was one of those droll manoeuvres loaded with political irony.

But deep down, Zamil is relieved the car will remain his. It is very similar to the Rolls Royce owned by no less than Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud except that Zamil’s is in better condition. The engine purrs, the dashboard gleams with polish and the leather seats are in a plush taupe.

Just a fortnight ago, a Chinese friend borrowed the car for his son’s wedding. Zamil loaned the car plus his own driver because he did not want unfamiliar hands at the wheel.
Up against the wall: The sex video episode has reached a pivotal point and Pakatan parties are preparing to move on without Anwar who is seen here officiating at a new PKR branch in Kubang Pasu, Kedah.

There has been no love lost between Zamil and Anwar since the day Zamil claimed he was played out by Anwar over a position in PKR. Unfortunately for Anwar, Zamil does not take broken promises lightly and his quest for vengeance is far from over. A few days ago, Zamil lodged a police report on the police report that Anwar made to deny that he is the man in the video. Zamil’s contention is that Anwar had lodged a false police report.

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the sex video scandal exploded back in March. The so-called Datuk Trio comprising Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik, Datuk Eskay Abdullah and Datuk Shuib Ismail has been charged and convicted. Expert opinion from the US is that the video is genuine and the man in it was reported to be “99.99% Anwar.”

End of story? Not quite – the end is still nowhere in sight for this controversial sex video.

“We have passed the climax but this thing has the look of an epic,” said film-maker and Umno blogger Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, who is better known by his blogging name Kickdefella.

Talk is rife of a few more videos in the wings, as well as an explosive photograph. The Datuk Trio is not the sort of people you would want to fool around with, as PKR politician and Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul has learnt.

Johari, who was among the first people the Trio invited to view the video, recently found himself the collateral damage in the controversy. Johari has been going about denying that it is Anwar but last week, the PKR side released a video which featured Johari rubbishing the Trio and the sex video. His account was obviously timed to coincide with the Trio’s court conviction.

The Trio reacted by unleashing footage of Johari watching the sex video during which he appeared to acknowledge that it was Anwar. Johari did not come out very well from it and, if he knows better, this was just a warning from the Trio.

They obviously have more stuff than what has been seen to date given how cocksure they have been about their claims and actions as well as their willingness to swear on the Quran in the mosque.

But whether the Trio comes up with more of the same is not going to matter very much from now.

The sex video episode has reached a pivotal point with the conviction of the Trio and the authentication of the video. For months, Pakatan politicians had challenged the authorities to charge the Trio, and their conviction has taken the fire out of Pakatan’s artillery.

Pakatan politicians have generally ducked the issue of whether the video was authentic or fake. Only one DAP politician had called for the video to be authenticated. He was quietly asked to shut up and no other Pakatan figure has since made such demands.

Their standard line of defence has been that this is “politik lucah” or vulgar politics while PAS took the Islamic and diplomatic way out by insisting that such cases require four witnesses. Very few of them have put their reputation on the line to say that it is not Anwar. Johari is one of them.

But there are still people out there who do not want to accept that the video is authentic despite the tests and analyses by the academic institute in the US.

At the same time, not all of those who agree that the man is Anwar approve of the entrapment. They feel that political victory or defeat should take place via a political contest rather than through sex traps.

But it is increasingly difficult for Pakatan and especially PKR politicians to go on insisting that it is not Anwar.

When asked about this, a PKR official would only say: “Let the public decide whether they believe the 99.99% finding.”

Some people think Anwar is finished. Actually, he is far from finished but fewer people now think he is going to be the next Prime Minister – or even that he is Prime Minister material.

A serious matter

“Non-Muslims regard this as a private matter. But for us Muslims, it is a serious thing. I haven’t seen the video but my friends have seen it and they can decide for themselves,” said a top PAS figure.

Anwar’s problem is the growing element of doubt among the swing group, especially the Malay middle ground. The hardcore supporters on either side will remain where they are; it is the swing group that Pakatan has to be worried about.

Anwar probably feels it when he goes on the ceramah circuit. The crowds are there but he knows they are also checking out his belly, his chest and even his nose as they are listening to him. Fortunately, his stomach is quite flat now that he has lost so much weight and is looking rather gaunt.

The sex video, for one, has been a top topic at the ceramah series organised by the Pasir Salak division. Umno ceramah can be quite boring affairs but this one not only had the crowd’s attention but had them tickled too.

At one ceramah, the speaker said that given the sex-related incidents associated with the opposition leader, “the whole thing is beginning to look like a hobby.”

“Hobbies are okay, but people with this type of hobby, it’s better they don’t try to become the Prime Minister,” said the speaker.

Another speaker said: “Many of us have seen the video, the experts have said it is real, we know it’s him, what else is there to argue. Only the PAS leaders are still arguing as though they know everything, as if they were in the bedroom, under the bed.”

The ceramah series is the brainchild of Pasir Salak Umno politician Dr Faizal Tajuddin who wanted to counter and neutralise the string of ceramah by PAS, which has been parading its latest celebrity recruit, Bob Lokman, the Malay rocker who said he joined PAS because he wanted to go to heaven.

The main target is PAS but the sex video is one of the bullets being used by Dr Faizal’s team.

Many are also waiting to see whether Anwar’s wife and daughter, both politicians, will come forward to defend him again now that the video has been vetted as genuine. The family is said to have been in turmoil since the video surfaced in March but they have no choice but to keep up a united front.

It is quite clear by now that Anwar needs Pakatan more than Pakatan needs him. He was a superhero in the aftermath of March 2008 but Pakatan is now shouldering him through his personal problems.

Anwar’s nemesis, Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, put it quite bluntly when he said the opposition has been “utterly compromised” by Anwar and that the latter is “destroying the credibility of the opposition.”

Zaid was equally critical of the authority’s handling of the sex video, describing it as “foolish and clumsy”, all of which added up to what he described as “the tragedy of Malaysian politics.”

Pakatan leaders know it as well. Privately, they are already talking of a revived role for Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah in the near future. Dr Wan Azizah has been playing the role of dutiful wife rather than PKR president but Pakatan leaders are ready to accept her if Anwar is indisposed.

“Kak Wan will still lead. We can work with her even though she is not up to mark,” said the same PAS figure.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is experienced and capable but the Pakatan leaders are still uncomfortable with him. Rising star Nurul Izzah is ambitious but still very green and her haste to be noticed has seen her mired in embarrassing boo-boos such as claiming that the Malaysian submarine could not dive whereas it has dived to its maximum depth off the coast of Sabah with no less than the King onboard.

Recently, Anwar claimed he had the clout to call off the Bersih rally if he wanted to, implying he was still in charge. The rally’s figurehead leader Datuk S. Ambiga immediately shot back that the rally is on.

It was a slap in the face for Anwar. The Bersih rally is basically a PAS show and it is the clearest sign that Anwar’s centrestage placing in Pakatan politics has been hijacked by PAS.

Moreover, the new PAS battle cry is “PAS ganti Umno”, the implication being that PAS has the ability to replace Umno and that can only mean one thing – PAS is positioning itself to dominate in the general election and claim the Prime Ministership.

Pakatan parties are preparing to move on without Anwar. His role as an intermediary between PAS and DAP is quite redundant now that the Erdogans are in charge in PAS. The Erdogans speak the same political language as DAP leaders and they can sit at the same table with DAP.

There is even talk that if Anwar cannot defend Permatang Pauh in the next general election, Nurul Izzah will go there since the election law disqualifies Dr Wan Azizah from contesting a seat which she resigned from.

The days when Anwar could walk on water are over. He is swimming against the current.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is an old article, but lookalikes can be easily created given the amount of funds BN has. They could get the nearest looking lookalike ‘Anwar’ add abit of plastic surgery or anyone in the opposition and make them do all kinds of porn for release in the internet EVERY week or make the fakes ‘say things’ that are politically destructive which will be presented as insider records etc.. Chua Soi Lek could have been smart enough to dodge the bullet but chose to be honest, bravo, but a person who would be honest about invasion of privacy vids, yet not want to challenge apartheid is an oxymoron of sorts. As for Pakatan, the problem still stands and very clearly that Pakatan is a CLOSED party. I have at least tried quite indirectly to sound Pakatan out, and noted the extreme fear and prevention of ‘outside’ forces taking over. Then after Pakatan’s sacrifice of Teo Beng Hock, perhaps was best that some of us were not invited to join anyway. After doing the scrimmage work, the least that some politicians could have done was not betray their would-be supporters to the psychiatric establishment . . .

2 sides of the same Rakyat oppressive coin?

We’d be better off setting up a 3rd Force party to remove the cynical apartheid tolerating hudud accepting guys with similar looking wives (Betty and Rosmah might as well be the same person), drop 50% of DAP’s nepotists I say . . . those undemocratic creeps are very harmful to the country, as is any who are term limitless and nepotistic and refuse to make clear on :

;while touting Hudud or an Islamist party PAS par excellence Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood. These Islamists are all the same IMHO, when courting the voters, they say nice things but after gaining power, they turn all Islamist and start persecuting everyone. MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP however have entirely failed to seperate from BN to lead 3rd force which I list below :

Proposed 3rd Force Party

End the APARTHEID and drop the racists. or get the racists to drop apartheid if BN wants GE13. Other than that, the mandate which is unused as of now would likely become Pakatan’s, a much worse option in many ways.

ARTICLE 7

Pakatan must do more for Penang Malays – Saturday, 24 November 2012 Super Admin

The Malays in Penang want a Malay Deputy Chief Minister to look after their interests

To this, the congress’ president Rahmad Isahak said it was becoming clear that both PKR and PAS have failed to maintain Pakatan Rakyat’s hold on the Malays.

Hawkeye, FMT

The Penang Malay Congress has called on DAP to consider appointing a Malay to become the next Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) I if the present leader, PKR’s Mansor Othman, relinquishes the post in favour of contesting a parliament seat.

The rumour mill is working overtime in Penang now since PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim announced last week that Mansor, a party vice-president, will contest the Nibong Tebal parliament seat.

The seat is presently held by Tan Tee Beng who had won the seat under the PKR banner in 2008 but has since become an Independent.

Anwar declined to comment on whether Mansor will be allowed to defend his present Penanti state seat on the mainland.

To this, the congress’ president Rahmad Isahak said it was becoming clear that both PKR and PAS have failed to maintain Pakatan Rakyat’s hold on the Malays.

Moving Mansor out of Penang, stengthens the congress’ belief that Pakatan is concerned about the Malay ground here and confirms that the Malay electorate is disappointed with them, Rahmad said.

Mansor has been underfire for the last three years for failing to champion Malay issues well, and he is often seen as being subservient to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

To arrest an alleged decline in Malay support, Rahmad said Pakatan needs to revamp its present leadeship allocation.

A Malay DAP candidate, who wins in the next election, should instead be made the DCM I as this will demonstrate to the people that the party is committed to the Malays, Rahmad said.

Talk is that Penang DAP will consider fielding at least two Malay candidates here to challenge the perception among the Malay community that it is a Chinese party.

DAP’s failure to field any Malays may also give rise to a number of independent candidates – sponsored by Malay civil groups where 23 organisations have sprouted up in Penang since 2008.

Rahmad said the Malays in Penang have become restless due to the inability of the DAP-led state government to effectively address their socio-economic issues.

The community’s grouses are over the lack of affordable housing, erosion of their heritage and culture values, made worse by the demolition of traditional villages on the island and the lack of quality jobs despite a record number of fresh investments.

“If you ask a critically minded Malay if they support Pakatan, they remain speechless. It is not because Pakatan failed them, it is because the issues of the community has gone unnoticed by the inexperienced government for the past four years.”

The Malay dilemma

The Malays are now venting their anger on PKR and PAS for failure to convince DAP over the critical need to look at the community’s issues.

Even during Barisan’s era, the Malay community here has been stirring up issues and expressing their anger, Rahmad said in an interview.

The Malays are in a dilemma here because if they support Pakatan, there is a preception out there that their issues will not be effectively resolved unless a strong-willed Malay leader is appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister I, Rahmad said.

On the other hand, it is pointless to support Umno as the party is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which is finding it increasingly difficult to regain acceptance in Penang, he said.

;so that the minorities will not care what race the CM is. Frankly Penang has had a minority CM for too long, on the other hand ALL OTHER Sultanate led STATES have had Malay MBs for too long as well. The door swings both ways . . .

ARTICLE 8

Najib: Change can happen with the same government – by Ida Lim – November 24, 2012

Najib addresses the crowd at the Barisan 1 Malaysia gathering at the Putra World Trade Centre who respond by raising one finger. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — A change in government is not necessary for changes in the country, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) is ready to change, said Najib, who is also chairman of the 13-member coalition.

“… BN is not a party that is inflexible. We are ready to change.

“Change can happen in our country and we have proven that not necessarily we change government, but we can bring big change with the same government,” Najib said at the Barisan 1 Malaysia gathering at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here.

He also hinted that the government may give more cash handouts to the people if the country is well-managed.

He was speaking about the government’s financial aid to the working class and other sections of society, such as giving out tyres to taxi drivers and cash handouts to singles under the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) 2.0 scheme, before hinting that more handouts were possible.

“Boleh lagi. We (can) give more in the future with the condition that our country is managed well.

“And all these we are able to do because in the past four years, we have proven that this is not an empty promise…” Najib said.

;no change can be expected. BN has the mandate to grant the above now. Why has BN not used that mandate to grant the above? This proves there will be no change. The above 3 items cost nothing to implement.

NOV 19 — Unless appropriate formal and equitable engagement mechanisms are put in place, civil society will be not be in a position to effectively advocate for and ensure the protection of human rights in the region. This is the lesson to be gleaned from the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) yesterday (November 18) during the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The inability of civil society organisations (CSOs) to meaningfully engage with members of ASEAN over the establishment of institutional and normative human rights frameworks to date explains the limited effectiveness of their advocacy in securing a real protection mechanism for the people of ASEAN.

Much of the discussion emerging from yesterday’s release of AHRD has focused on the criticism by CSOs over the lack of adherence to international human rights standards and the rejoinder by ASEAN governmental representative that the tone of the current AHRD is what is politically feasible now within the regional grouping. But the root problem remains the lack of access of CSOs to the inter-governmental process that has crafted institutional mechanisms and the AHRD.

Over the last two years, CSOs seeking to advance the protection of human rights in the nascent ASEAN human rights regime have been confronted with a regional association and member governments that are still deeply wedded to the principle of non-interference and the primacy of national laws.

Beginning with the ASEAN Charter in 2008, which promised the establishment of a human rights body, CSOs have been pressuring member governments to adopt a mechanism that would speak to international standards and include a protection mechanism. At each step towards formalising a regional mechanism, for example in 2009 in the run up to the drafting of the Terms of Reference for the AICHR and now in 2012 in the drafting of AHRD, CSOs have tried their level best to engage with ASEAN but in vain.

On the adoption of the ADHR in Phnom Penh on November 18, CSO criticisms of the declaration continued unabated. While Singapore’s Representative to the AICHR, Chang Heng Chee, hailed the advent of the “peer-review” mechanism and the ADHR as “the best that could be done” in the social and political context, the CSO exclusion from the process of crafting a human rights regime remains a blatant fact.

Some 60 CSOs wrote to ASEAN leaders requesting the postponement of the signing given serious flaws in the document. Echoing strongly their comments, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, also called for the same and has stated: “I am surprised and disappointed that the draft declaration has not been made public and that civil society has not been consulted in the drafting of the document.”

Poignant criticisms have pointed to AHRD failings to meet existing international standards and the risks of creating a sub-standard level of rights protection in the region.

Pillay has cited as an example the provision on the right to life which, she said, should not be contingent on domestic laws that can be used to justify state-sponsored violence. Further, ASEAN governments want the enjoyment of rights to be balanced with the “performance of duties” and be subject to “national and regional contexts”.

Rights in the region therefore stand to be restricted on a wide range of grounds, including “national security” and “public morality”. The declaration is further criticised for having too many loopholes that may permit states to bypass international standards. Even Surin Pitsuwan, speaking at the ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, admitted: “This document can be improved upon.”

On such substantive matters critical to the well-being of all ASEAN citizens, CSOs have been confronted with ASEAN member-states’ strategy of selective and limited engagement with CSOs to date over the establishment of a human rights regime in the region. The entire project of crafting a human rights regime is pursued purely as an inter-governmental activity.

With no institutionalised mechanism for consultation, CSO engagement has only been accommodated on a piece-meal basis and only because of the tireless advocacy, persistence and pressure by regional CSOs. This state of affairs has neutralised CSOs’ ability to advocate successfully for the protection of human rights in the region.

Such a purely inter-governmental approach is entirely out of step with how inter-governmental organisations such as the UN, the EU and the OAS conduct their own inter-governmental activities. In those mechanisms civil society is mainstreamed into the human rights processes.

In addition to concern over core substantive dilemmas — the lack of real protection of human rights and the failure to meet international standards — the real subtext is the fact that civil society has not been mainstreamed as it should be. Lack of such mainstreaming undermines ASEAN’s own call for a more people-centred community.

Civil society organisations, which have historically played a vital role in advancing the protection of human rights globally, and the media (traditional and new), must continue and intensify their push for more transparency in the ASEAN human rights regime, for the respect of international commitments already binding upon ASEAN states, for the respect for universal standards under the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and for real protection of fundamental rights.

When it comes to the development of human rights in the region, the lack of genuine consultation with CSOs by ASEAN’s member governments reflects the marginalisation of one of the important sectors within the member states. A formal consultation mechanism is vital to the protection of human rights in the region and to the creation of a more people-centred ASEAN.

* Drs James Gomez (Thammasat University) and Robin Ramcharan (Queen’s University Center for International Relations) are authors of the paper “The Protection of Human Rights in Southeast Asia: Improving the Effectiveness of Civil Society Advocacy”.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

At very least allow ALL activites for registered persons in restricted zones for a start.

From the Biblical book of Proverbs (15.33), it says: “The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honour.”

The Qur’an (7:94) reads as follows: “Whenever We sent a Prophet to a society, We took up its people in suffering and adversity, in order that they might learn humility.”

One seeking honour must have an attitude of humility and recognising his responsibility to others must be his priority. One such personality among the ordinary citizens is the incumbent PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang.

In his speech at the recent 58th Muktamar PAS in Kelantan, he said, “To become the prime minister is not my aim in politics. I would rather be a slave to the people.”

Be that as it may, the consensus among Pakatan allies is that Anwar Ibrahim will be made the prime minister in the event of the coalition taking over Putrajaya in the 13th general election. Of course, this is not going to make UMNO’s supreme mentor, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, happy.

And Anwar – with his credentials, experience and international exposure – is considered by majority Malaysians to be the most qualified man to head the government.

Becoming a leader is a huge responsibility

As a devout Muslim, Hadi is aware that becoming a leader is a huge responsibility (amanah). As such, he said that “let a prime minister be a person from among those entrusted by the rakyat, who could carry out his duty in good conscience and is blessed by God”.

This unmistakeably testifies that PAS advocates the principle of democracy in politics and the tussle to become the prime minister if Pakatan takes over Putrajaya in the next election does not exist at all.

In fact, according to political observers, there is no issue of any political scrimmage within the Pakatan coalition on the issue of who shall become the prime minister. The understanding on this issue has been generally accepted by all the three parties in Pakatan – PAS, PKR and DAP.

PAS and Pakatan Rakyat are not facing a dearth of leaders. Within PAS there are many among them who have a good religious background, are professional and also well-versed with the economy that could be entrusted to lead the nation.

Notably among them are scientist-cum-economist Dzulkefly Ahmad the Member of Parliament for Kuala Selangor, former deputy governor of Bank Negara, economist and consultant Rosli Yaakop and former Menteri Besar of Perak Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, a Member of Parliament and engineer by profession.

Unpretentiousness is the ethos found among PAS leaders. Political pundits have this to say: Even if a leader from PAS is appointed as prime minister this will not be a cause to worry among the non-Muslims. At present two states in the country have Menteri Besar from PAS – Kelantan and Kedah.

They have performed relatively well in the economic governance of the states even though they come from a religious background.

Nizar was chosen

But the best narration that could allay the fears of non-Muslims over PAS is that of what ensued in Perak in 2008. On 8 March 2008, the Pakatan Rakyat coalition in Perak won 31 seats of the 59 seat Perak State Assembly, which enabled it to form the state government with a simple majority.

The DAP commanded the most seats out of the 31 seats held by Pakatan Rakyat and were initially the claimants to the post of Menteri Besar. However, the Perak State Constitution stipulates that the menteri besar must be of Malay descent, and a non-Malay could only be appointed by a royal waiver by the Perak Palace.

To resolve this, all three parties sent their nominations for the menteri besar post to the Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin Shah. Reluctant Nizar was chosen over Ngeh Koo Ham of the DAP and Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi of PKR on 12 March 2008 and he sworn in on 17 March 2008 at Istana Iskandariah, Kuala Kangsar.

Nizar from PAS ended up working harmoniously with all the coalition members and proved himself to become a popular menteri besar although his stint as the chief of Perak government was short-lived (17 March 2008 – 12 May 2009). This was after a controversial takeover of the State by Barisan in 2009 when three Pakatan assemblymen left the coalition to become Barisan-friendly.

On 11 May 2009, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the Sultan could not constitutionally remove Nizar from office, and that Nizar had always been the rightful menteri besar. However, Nizar at the end of the day lost the legal proceedings when, in February 2010, the Federal Court ruled Zambry Abdul Kadir from Barisan to be the lawful menteri besar.

In the same year Nizar from PAS won the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election with a thumping victory over the Barisan candidate (Ismail Safian) that made him a member of parliament. He clinched the support of Malays and majority non-Malays in the by-election.

Nizar proved himself as a capable and well-liked menteri besar by all the races in Perak though he represented PAS – an Islamic party. He proved himself that he could handle the state with humility, integrity and fairness.

Thus, a PAS man becoming a leader of a state or nation should not become an issue in multi-racial and democratic Malaysia.

Chua Soi Lek as prime minister

Mahathir, in a media report, was cynical when he proposed that Karpal Singh – DAP Chief, a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament – be chosen as the prime minister in the case Pakatan wins the next general election. This must be akin to suggesting Chua Soi Lek, the MCA President to become the prime minister within the Barisan rank.

By virtue of Mahathir’s statement, if Karpal can become the prime minister of Malaysia there is no wrong then for Chua to be elevated as prime minister in Barisan. Perhaps, UMNO under their supreme guru, Mahathir, can ponder over this matter.

Mahathir insinuated that Pakatan is fractious when it comes to the appointment of a prime minister. Political observers opine that the man Mahathir fears most in life is Anwar. Anwar was ousted from the party in 1998 when Mahathir sensed that he would be sent to the political bin if he did not act fast enough on his ambitious nemesis.

Of course, Mahathir will be the most despondent man on earth if Anwar becomes the next prime minister of the country.

The country is now blessed with a two-party system and this bodes well for the people. There may be some minor differences in Pakatan as opposed to major squabbles in UMNO and Barisan.

UMNO has virtually decimated MCA, MIC and Gerakan by its Malay-centric approach to politics and is now all alone against the mounting crusade from Pakatan against Barisan.

The split in UMNO

Pakatan associates have not split to the extent of forming PKR Baru, DAP Baru or PAS Baru just to chase for the prime minister’s post.

In 1987, for the first time in twelve years, the incumbent President, Mahathir, was challenged by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the Presidency of UMNO. There was a forceful campaign to win the support of the approximately 1,500 delegates from party branches all over the country, who came to elect the party officers.

Some were even accused of money politics during the intense campaigns to decide who would be the president of UMNO and subsequently the prime minister of the country.

The official results declared Mahathir the winner, with 761 votes to Razaleigh’s 718. There was a major split in UMNO after that episode all because of “a prime minister’s post”. The vanquished was not happy and brought the matter to the Court.

UMNO was later declared as an illegal entity by the Court for having some “phantom” branches.

Soon after, UMNO Baru was born – laboriously “delivered” by Mahathir – and Razaleigh left UMNO to form Semangat46. This split in UMNO has remained until today. And Razaleigh until now has not given up his hope to become the prime minister.

As Hadi said, “Becoming a leader is not because one desires to become one. It must be with the blessings of God and with the consent and support of the majority”.

Buzz is now steeping

There are many more senior UMNO proponents tussling, including the Perkasa Chief who is ambitious, to become or be made the prime minister. The incumbent Deputy UMNO President, Muhyiddin Yassin, has his own supporters who would want him to challenge Najib Abdul Razak – the present yet to be endorsed UMNO president – to become the prime minister and this buzz is now steeping in the party.

And Mahathir will not leave this world a happy man until he could be assured that his son Mukhriz is in line to the throne as well. Ambitious Khairy Jamaluddin – UMNO Youth Chief who holds no ministerial post and is more noted for his penchant for football than the welfare of UMNO – who is not in the good book of Mahathir and Najib is also very keen to become prime minister.

It was reported that Khairy did at one time boast that he wanted to become the prime minister before the age 40. His hope however is dashed under the present UMNO set-up.

Another point that should be highlighted here is that money politics has become the malady affecting UMNO party members who have been jostling up the political ladder since 1981. This mucky, corrupt and irreligious norm is not found in PAS, PKR or DAP.

More perceptible within UMNO

Pro-UMNO media is playing up the issue as though Pakatan is split over the choice of a prime minister in the event of Pakatan winning the next general election but this is a non-issue to the non-Malays as well as the Malays.

UMNO and its supreme but unpopular advice-giver have failed to unnerve those who might be concerned about Pas leading a new federal government.

In a nutshell, all the hankering and throbbing to become prime minister is more perceptible within UMNO than any of the Opposition party.

Of course Hadi in a humble way “welcomed” the sincere proposal by the Ulama Wing Chief – a polite gesture on Hadi’s part to please the enthusiastic participants – that he be chosen to become the prime minister.

But wisdom prevailed in him, as he was quick to qualify that his aim in politics was not to become a prime minister. He even warned the participants of the risks of being desperately ambitious in politics.

He then aptly said, “Leadership is a huge trust and a big responsibility. Whoever becomes the prime minister is secondary. The good values of Islam should be upheld. A leader must be trustworthy, not corrupt, of high integrity and who could bring social justice to all Malaysians. And if this is achieved it is enough for me in this world.”

The rakyat have not heard this kind of humble statement springing from any UMNO leader since 1981.

Malaysia Chronicle

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

. . . Becoming a leader is a huge responsibility . . .

Bullsh1t! All an MP needs to do is amend laws en masse with other MPs, and GTFO of Dewan after the 2nd term so that some other Malaysian will have a chance to do some policy work. All the MPs of today do are argue, never forward useful bills and keep apartheid in place by not challenging what is Illegal in the Human Rights Charter and Islam and virtually every faith on the planet. Responbsibility is making CHANGE by ratifying good policy and forwarding amendments to policy. Not keep the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA in place (BN), threaten to destroy private property (Gambier Threat – DAP), destroy livilihood of the streetside petty traders (DAP), ask for 750K funerals (DAP), ask for raises for MP and Assemblyman salaries (DAP), or try to impose Hudud on Malaysians (PAS), especially non-Muslim Malaysians, or pass off 8% quorum party elections as valid (PKR) or 0.002% (300 out of 1.5 million) for EXCO posts.

The above makes today’s hateful term limitless and extremely nepotistic MPs, loudmouths without responsibility. ALL an MP needs to do is change a few things by putting a signature down which any street sweeper can happily do. So far nothing useful from either side, lots of mega contracts for 1% cronies but nothing concrete for the 99%.

. . . He then aptly said, “Leadership is a huge trust and a big responsibility. Whoever becomes the prime minister is secondary. The good values of Islam should be upheld. A leader must be trustworthy, not corrupt, of high integrity and who could bring social justice to all Malaysians. And if this is achieved it is enough for me in this world.” . . .

APTLY? Malaysian Chronicle converted to Islam lately? ‘The good values of Islam should be upheld.’ is the vaguest most threatening thing being said as much as President Morsi of Egypt’s ‘Absolutist Decree’ just recently. There are OTHER good values – of other fiaths, of democracy of HUMAN RIGHTS that too many religions attack constantly. WHAT THE HELL is apt about a potential crypto-Islamist statement like that given the neglect of 40% of the population’s seculars or non-Hudu Malays up to 80-95% of Malaysia’s population altogether?

Hadi has NOT addressed the seculars since ‘accepting the PMship’ a week or so ago – Morsi Style! please stop emboldening with this sort of collusion or laziness. Apt? Hadi has forgotten the 40% of non-Muslims and non-Malays as well as possibly 70% of the non-pro-Hudud Malays and Muslims. Malaysia Chronicle sure this can be called ‘APT’? Frankly Malaysian MPs are overpaid, even when a 900 minimum wage cannot be implemented, what business have MPs have to take 23K per month of taxpayer monies? MPs salaries are paid by the Rakyat, did any Rakyat say they deserve 23K? On a 1-Man-1-Vote vote, probably MPs will have their salaries LOWERED to no more than 10 times minimum annual wage which would likely be RM$9000, even as minimum wage of $900 already gets ALL MP’s dragging their feet . . . the Pakatan MPs are term limitless and nepotistic, do not care for the Rakyat, even as BN MPs continue apartheid . . . vote 3rd Force!

Proposed 3rd Force Party

ARTICLE 11

RPK: Do You Think I Give A Crap? – by RAJA PETRA KAMARUDIN – Monday, 05 November 2012 16:25

“More I read your articles, more I have an inclination that you really are on a BN payroll.” – @bengali kunday.

That was what a reader going by the nickname of ‘@bengali kunday’ said. Well, allow me to reply to that.

First of all, even if I am on the payroll of Barisan Nasional, so what? There are people like those in Malaysiakini, Malaysia Chronicle, and so on, who are on Pakatan Rakyat’s payroll. In fact, sites like Harakah and many others actually belong to and are financed by Pakatan Rakyat or parties within Pakatan Rakyat. And they do not hide that fact or are apologetic or ashamed about serving the interest of a political party, notwithstanding the fact that it is an opposition party.

Are you implying that it is okay to be on Pakatan Rakyat’s payroll but not okay to be on Barisan Nasional’s payroll? Are you also implying that democracy and freedom of choice and freedom of association means you must be on Pakatan Rakyat’s payroll but not on Barisan Nasional’s payroll?

What type of democracy is this when you are restricted to serving one party’s interest but not the other? What type of democracy is this when you have no freedom of choice or freedom of association and are obligated to serve one party’s interest but not the other?

You take the moral high ground whenever you feel that someone is serving Barisan Nasional’s interest but you do not demonstrate that same moral outrage if someone is on Pakatan Rakyat’s payroll. So-called ‘independent’ human rights organisations such as Suaram openly work for Pakatan Rakyat but that is not repulsive to you. Only if they serve Barisan Nasional’s interest is it repulsive.

Secondly, when I write articles very damaging to Barisan Nasional and Umno – such as my two recent articles this week in The Corridors of Power regarding Umno Sabah – you do not consider that as being on Pakatan Rakyat’s payroll. However, if I write just one article that is slightly uncomplimentary to Pakatan Rakyat (in fact, the article that I wrote in which you posted that comment is not even about Pakatan Rakyat or uncomplimentary to Pakatan Rakyat) you consider that as being on Barisan Nasional’s payroll.

To you Pakatan Rakyat supporters, the decent thing to do is to serve Pakatan Rakyat’s interest. Serving any other interest is an indecent thing to do. You decide the moral boundaries and limits of decency and anyone who does not pass your interpretation and yardstick of morality and decency is vilified. Who appointed you the guardian and trustee of morality and decency?

How different are you from the religionists who decide what is moral and what is decent and impose their standards of morality and decency on others? Since Muslims represent the majority population in Malaysia can Muslims then, going by the doctrine of democracy where majority rules, impose their Islamic interpretation of morality and decency on the minority?

Since the majority dictates the ground rules then surely what is compatible to Islam should prevail and anything repulsive to Islam should be barred. In that case the Islamic Sharia law, Hudud included, should be the law of the land. Muslims who are the majority in Malaysia should decide what is moral and what is decent and Islam must be the code of conduct that all Malaysians should live by.

Religionists such as Muslims, even if they are the majority in Malaysia, should not impose their will on Malaysians, even on fellow Muslims, let alone on the non-Muslims. So why should you impose your will on others? The believers of Islam should not vilify those who are not of the Muslim faith. Why should the believers of Pakatan Rakyat vilify those who are not of the opposition faith?

When misguided Muslims adopt the ‘either you are with us or you are against us’ religious doctrine, you find that revolting, indecent and immoral. But you can adopt the ‘either you are with us or you are against us’ political doctrine and it is not revolting, indecent and immoral.

What kind of hypocritical double standard is this? You resent it when others impose their will on you and when they decide what is tolerable, moral and decent. But you can impose your will on others and decide what is tolerable, moral and decent. Can you see the hypocrisy that is so thick you can cut it with a knife?

Do you think I care a sh** about Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat? Do you think I care a sh** whether Barisan Nasional retains power or Pakatan Rakyat gains power? Do you think my life is only about the general elections and about who gets to march into Putrajaya? That is a very narrow way to look at life.

Do you honestly think that my mission in life is to make sure that Barisan Nasional does not get kicked out? Do you honestly think that my mission in life is to ensure that Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the next federal government? You have a very narrow mission in life. Do not imagine that my mission in life is as narrow as yours.

Politicians are politicians, never mind from which side of the political divide. And the narrow objective of all politicians is merely to get into power. What makes you think that that is also my very narrow objective? If you think that then you have not been reading properly what I have been writing over these last 35 years.

You Pakatan Rakyat supporters are still too immature. And that is why Pakatan Rakyat is not ready to run the country. Pakatan Rakyat supporters first need to gain some maturity before Pakatan Rakyat can be allowed to form the federal government. You need to suffer another term under Barisan Nasional. This suffering might then wake you up and only when you wake up can we talk about a change of government.

Yes, do keep whacking me. Continue to vilify me. And when you do I will do everything within my power to make sure that the coming general election is going to result in a huge shock and disappointment for you.

Never give a flower to a monkey, the Malays would say. That is like throwing pearls to swine, the English say. And that is how I look at some of you Pakatan Rakyat supporters, monkeys and swine that are not ready to be entrusted with power.

So you want to fight. So let’s fight. I have nothing to lose because I don’t care a sh** which side is going to win the coming general election. That is what you want. That is not what I want. Just because that is what you want you have this mistaken notion that that is what I also want.

What stupid people you are. If I support Pakatan Rakyat then I am God. If I do not support Pakatan Rakyat then I am a Barisan Nasional stooge. Well, let me break it to you gently. I am neither God not a Barisan Nasional stooge. I am an independent-spirited individual who does not care a sh** about losers like you.

It is true that there are things that we Malaysians should be proud of, and be thankful for. It is equally true that many things are not well in our country. They have not been well for some time now.

Matters of safety and security, price hikes, education, issues of equal opportunities and equal treatment, constriction of various forms of freedom, marginalization of several segments of society, the failing justice system, corruption in the public sector, the rising denial syndromes, the arrogance of wrongdoers nourished by their repeated ability to get off scot-free, and the numbness of the public reaction towards misdeeds and the lack of accountability, just to describe a few.

Many of the ills that we complain about in our society are the symptoms of the underlying causes. Some of the major root causes are:

(a) epidemic corruption in a system that does little to prohibit or redress it,

(b) lack of a system of transparency and accountability,

(c) the suppression of various freedoms so as to turn a silent majority into a silenced majority,

(d) a Government that is more interested in commanding than serving,

(e) a Parliament whose overwhelming majority cares more about power-consolidation than nation-building, and

(f) a weak “last bastion” in the form of a failing justice system.

Breaking point

Can things be allowed to go on this way? Can we afford to do so?

Should our future generations suffer the consequences of our permissiveness?

It is quite obvious that we need a better Government and a better Parliament.

But that will not happen if we, the citizens of Malaysia , do little more than blaming the Government and criticizing our Members of Parliament. It is we who put our MPs in the Parliament. It is we who must take the ultimate responsibility.The buck stops at each and every one of us.

My earnest appeal to everyone is therefore as follows:

– discuss the need for a better Parliament and a better Government, with your family members, colleagues, friends and persons close to you;

– make it a point to go and vote in the next election, and to vote for change and for betterment; discard the notion or excuse that your single vote will not matter;

– discard the notion or excuse that politics is dirty and all politicians are the same, and therefore that there is no point in voting;

– influence and encourage as many of your family members, colleagues, friends and persons close to you as possible, to come out and vote for change and for betterment in the coming election.

Meaningless to gripe if you don’t VOTE

It is meaningless for us to complain about our Parliamentarians and the Government, if we do not first discharge a simple but sacrosanct duty of choice.

Let us all take the time to look into the beautiful but expectant eyes of our children, and of the children of many others for whom we care.

The future of our nation is meant for them. But millions of them cannot vote. They put their fate in our hands. They rely on us not just for their present living and support. They rely on us, too, to vote for a better future for them.

And after discharging our duty to vote, we must continue to be vigilant, and ensure that our elected representatives account for their actions, and make good their promises.

I humbly suggest to you that change and betterment are not empty dreams, if all of us play our respective parts. I invite you, and I urge you, to answer my appeal as set out above.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Yeo Yang Poh

(former Bar Council President)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

So says the ‘great legal mind’ who propped up Mahathir’s racist corrupt government and sat silently while in power as Bar President while APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA and OPs Lallang went on. This legal beagle (no eagle even though was Bar Council President) Yeo Yang Poh entirely failed his watch, did not challenge Malaysia’s failed state throughout the 1970s to 1990s.

The legal fraternity worldwide should blackball this failure Yeo and also the Bar Council of today as well for not challenging apartheid. And now Yeo thinks that writing an ‘open letter’ will exhonerate such neglect and tacit approval of such Malaysian racism, corruption, illegal actions and general malaise? Liar and traitor to all Malaysian, traitor to minorities, traitor to ETHICS and the integrity of the legal system! Shame on Yeo Yang Poh for never raising the possibility of ending the APARTHEID OF BUMIPUTRA!

Malaysia Chronicle must be getting chronic to allow such people to post articles on their media article. Cynical media portal featuring cynical letters from supposed learned writers who sellout the 99% of citizens!

ARTICLE 13

DON’T BE SO ‘ULU’ UMNO: Stop the May 13 threats, have the GUTS to compete on level ground! – by Lim Kit Siang – Friday, 30 November 2012 15:44

The irresponsible threats raised by UMNO leaders at the 66th UMNO General Assembly of “May 13” and chaos if UMNO loses the 13th General Election, falsely claiming that Malays will lose political power and will be rendered “destitute in our own land”, is the best proof of the failure and hypocrisy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia policy.

If the 1Malaysia Policy proclaimed by Najib after he became Prime Minister in in April 2009 is more than election gimmicks for votes in the 13GE, its philosophy “to create a Malaysian nation where every Malaysian will regard himself or herself as Malaysian first and race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic status second” should have been the guiding spirit of speeches of UMNO/BN leaders and their party conferences.

But this is clearly not the case despite the onset of the 43rd month of Najib’s premiership, as illustrated by the 66th Umno General Assembly.

In the first place, an Umno/BN leader fully imbued by the 1Malaysia spirit of “Malaysian first and race, religion, geography or socio-economic status second” would never entertain any notion let alone utter any threat of May 13 or chaos regardless of the outcome of the forthcoming 13th general election, as anyone who could toy with any May 13 threat or warning of chaos because of the free democratic choice of Malaysians in the 13th general election has not only failed to imbibe the spirit of 1Malaysia, but is acting in a most disloyal and unpatriotic manner utterly heedless of the higher interests of the nation and the best future for the country.

Felled by own falsehoods

Such disloyal and unpatriotic notions is all the more reprehensible as they are built on despicable lies and falsehoods, that the defeat of UMNO in the 13th GE will result in the loss of political power of the Malays resulting in the Malays, to quote one speech: “..if we go down in this struggle, we do not have anything left. Pakatan will be brought down to their knees, and eventually become destitute in our own land”.

That fate may befall UMNO leaders – and that is if UMNO is incapable of reform even after being ousted from Putrajaya – but definitely it will not be the fate of the Malays.

This is because replacing UMNO/BN in Putrajaya will be the Pakatan Rakyat coalition comprising PKR, PAS and DAP – comprising Malaysians from all races, religions and regions representing the best interests of all.

Do MCA and the other BN component parties agree that if UMNO/BN loses in the 13GE, the Malays will lose political power?

MCA leaders are in fact saying the very opposite – telling the Chinese that if Pakatan Rakyat defeat UMNO/BN in the next general elections, the Chinese will lose even more political, economic, educational, socio-economic and citizenship rights!

Only the corrupt will lose power

Let UMNO and MCA leaders decide on one common message – whether it is the Malays or Chinese who will lose political power if UMNO/BN is replaced by Pakatan Rakyat in the 13GE.

The true answer is that it is not the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans who will lose political power but the UMNO-putras and their hangers-on in the other BN component parties – with ordinary Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region coming into their own to have rightful share in the decision-making process in a more democratic Malaysia.

It is time that UMNO and MCA leaders stop their irresponsible politics of “divide and rule” and compete with Pakatan Rakyat parties instead on “unite and rule” for a more democratic, just, prosperous and competitive Malaysia.

Lim Kit Siang is the DAP adviser & MP for Ipoh Timur

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Shaddap and GTFO of Dewan nepotistic term limitless creep!

DON’T BE SO ‘ULU’ DAP: Stop the APARTHEID OF BUMIPUTRA, have the GUTS to DEMAND level ground (below 3 items)!

Such disloyal and unpatriotic notions is all the more reprehensible as they are built on despicable lies and falsehoods, that the defeat of DAP in the 13th GE will result in the loss of political power of the Lim Family Bloc, Anwar Family Bloc and Karpal Family Blocs resulting in the family blocs, to quote one speech: “. . . if Pakatan goes down in this struggle, Pakatan does not have anything left. Pakatan will be(ing) brought down to their knees, and eventually become destitute in Pakatan’s own constituencies” to the empowerment of 3rd Force and the very rare handful of honest politicians within BN who subscribe top the above 3 items.

That fate may befall UMNO leaders – and that is if UMNO is incapable of reform even after being ousted from Putrajaya – but definitely it will not be the fate of the Malays.

This is because replacing UMNO/BN in Putrajaya will be the Pakatan Rakyat coalition comprising PKR, PAS and DAP – comprising Malaysians from all races, religions and regions representing the best interests of all.

Do MCA and the other BN component parties agree that if UMNO/BN loses in the 13GE, the Malays will lose political power?

MCA leaders are in fact saying the very opposite – telling the Chinese that if Pakatan Rakyat defeat UMNO/BN in the next general elections, the Chinese will lose even more political, economic, educational, socio-economic and citizenship rights!

Only the nepotistic and term limitless will lose power.

The true answer is that it is not the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans who will lose political power but the DAP-putras and their hangers-on in the other Pakatan component parties – with ordinary Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region coming into their own to have rightful share in the decision-making process in a more democratic Malaysia by removing term limitless Lim Kitsiangs and Karpals and their families from family blocs in Parliament.

It is time that DAP and PKR leaders stop their irresponsible politics of “falsely-unify and rule-by-kicking out members and being dictators PAP style” and compete to match 3rd Force instead on “TERM LIMITS and END OF NEPOTISM” for a more democratic, just, prosperous and competitive Malaysia.

TWO important decisions at the recently concluded 21st Asean Summit in Phnom Penh were: the launch of the Asean Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and delaying the launch of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) by 12 months, from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2015, to iron out pending issues and prepare the necessary regulations.

RCEP is forged as an alliance between Asean and its six dialogue partners — Australia, China, India, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand — to create a free trade area with great potential for gains through economic cooperation.

To date, numerous free trade agreements (FTAs) and economic partnership agreements (EPAs) have been concluded between single Asean member nations and by Asean as a group with individual dialogue partners. However, the overlapping priorities, procedures and practices have reduced the effectiveness and the potential benefits of these agreements since businesses have to observe the different rules of these various arrangements while it has also increased the cost of utilising preferential concessions.

It is in that context that the Asean RCEP agreement, with its region-wide partners, has the potential to reduce the complexity arising from the current multiplicity of agreements by agreeing on a single package and focusing on Asean’s centrality in the region.

Second, RCEP would be a basis for more complementary regional integration initiatives, since the partnership is to be built on the experiences, strengths and drawbacks of the many existing FTAs and EPAs.

It is also hoped that the Asean RCEP could spur efforts to set up an FTA between China, Japan and South Korea, a prospect faced with several impediments still to be resolved. Once established on a firm footing among the three northeast Asian nations, it can certainly enhance further regional economic integration.

All these positive aspirations and moves to achieve effective regional economic integration pivot on the countries concerned strengthening their commitment to, and being ready to work towards, that very goal, both among Asean members and their dialogue partners.

And, it is here, that the decision to delay by 12 months the launching of the AEC becomes critical. In that time frame, all Asean members must make progress to fulfil and implement the agreed road map and targeted actions for the AEC. That must surely be a prerequisite for realising the broader goal of regional economic integration.

One should also keep in mind that RCEP might be perceived as a competitor to the United States-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). At present, only Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Vietnam are a part of the TPP, while several other Asean members and dialogue partners, notably China, are not — a fact that could cause conflict of interests and derail effective economic integration.

Such a situation, if not clearly demarcated so that both the TPP and RCEP mutually benefit its members, could easily complicate further the existing and planned business pacts in the region, and frustrate efforts to achieve effective regional economic integration.

Malaysia, as a founding Asean member, having successful economic ties with all major countries and given its presence in both the TPP and RCEP, can and should play a key role in helping to promote the success of the AEC and the wider goal of regional economic integration, especially in the current context of a globalised economic and trading regime.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

No. Malaysia may be a founding member of ASEAN, but has institutionalized apartheid in the social economic system and is nominally Islamo-extremist and Nazi style ethnic communalist to a certain level alongside extreme religious fundo-mindsets against LGBTs and other non-Muslim entertainments. These facts render Malaysia non-viable as an ASEAN signatory until corrected. So long as Malaysia has denied the minorities and non-Muslims :

Malaysia’s role in ASEAN will be limited and biased, value deducted and disunifying from sheer inequality of the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA applied against the superminority of 40% of the non-Muslim and non-Malay population.

This is supposed to be one of our ‘better’ less fundo ‘more liberal’ Malays. England has extended far too much courtesy and spotlight to this duplicituous sorry specimen of humanity while ignoring worthier Malaysian citizens.

ARTICLE 15

The women haters in Parliament – November 28, 2012

NOV 28 — So, we now have rules in Parliament to stop lawmakers from saying sexist things.

You can stop them saying sexist things but it doesn’t change their mentality. It doesn’t change the fact that both Umno and PAS have chauvinists in their ranks who demean women with their words and actions.

This is also the same man who said attractive women shouldn’t work as they can get husbands, unlike their “uglier” brethren.

If I were to tell one of our chauvinistic MPs to his face that he hated women, he would probably reply, “Of course, not! I love women!”

Of course you do.

You love having women in your kitchen.

You love having women in your bedroom.

You love women when they tell you you’re right. When they agree with you. When they’re meek, pliable and not nearly as good at anything you do.

And when some woman tells you off for something like sexism or chauvinism, you brush her off as some “man-hating feminist.”

There’s a big difference between chauvinism and chivalry, but to some Malaysian men, they seem to be one and the same.

You don’t have to be an MP to be sexist. Take former Umno Kota Kinabalu protem head, Roselan Johar Mohamed, who is famous not because he is current chair of the BIMP-Eeaga Malaysian Business Council but for saying “If you cannot fight rape, better lay down and enjoy it.”

He claims he got that from a proverb by Confucius. I counter with a real quote from Confucius: “To subdue one’s self and return to propriety, is virtue.” Or, in other words, the right thing to do is have enough self-control to conduct yourself properly.

By that measure, too many of our politicians are very un-virtuous indeed.

It’s not just the way our male politicians talk about women but the way female politicians are treated in this country.

Why the need for separate women’s wings? Why, for instance, can’t a woman contest for leadership positions against men in our political parties?

Why must there be separate wings and positions just for the women?

Why can’t, say, a woman be the division head for Umno Selangor? Heck, why can’t a woman be the mentri besar? Why aren’t any of the mentri besar women? Where in our constitution does it specify that a woman cannot be head of state?

The reality is that sexism and chauvinism are entrenched in our local as well as political cultures. Telling our MPs to be “good boys” in Parliament isn’t enough because all our men need to be taught to acknowledge women as equals.

Sexism, like racism, is something that will never really go away. But it doesn’t mean that we can’t do our level best to fight them.

You can start small by gently reprimanding someone like Bung by saying, “That’s a sexist thing to say.”

Mentally, feel free to imagine hitting him about the head with a rolled up newspaper. Even virtue has its limits.

(The writer would like to emphasise that she suggested to “imagine” and not actually perform acts of violence, no matter how tempting.)

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

i) You can stop them saying sexist things but it doesn’t change their mentality.

Hey you can’t stop people from thinking or saying what they want ‘Erna’. 1st Amendment Rights, Voltarian FREEDOM OF SPEECH (freedom of life)!

ii) It doesn’t change the fact that both Umno and PAS have chauvinists in their ranks who demean women with their words and actions.

Doesn’t change the fact that SOME women do prefer chauvinistic men enough to ignore any incidental ‘demeaning’ of women.

iii) Why the need for separate women’s wings? Why, for instance, can’t a woman contest for leadership positions against men in our political parties?

Erna are you a Muslim? UMNO and PAS are Muslim parties, seperate wings in fact are ‘Muslim Characteristics’, even though Malays are not Muslims to begin with. If Erna needs to be apostate, Erna should leave Islam, but do not try to change Islam’s gender segregation. In time Islam will become a petty cult with the relic of gender seperation, this does not mean that Islam should change.

iv) Heck, why can’t a woman be the mentri besar? Why aren’t any of the mentri besar women? Where in our constitution does it specify that a woman cannot be head of state?

Do some work to declare Malaysia a secular state don’t compl;ain here. In Islam, the Patriarchy is dominant, if Islam is the faith of the country, all Muslims should be aware that only men are MBs or CMs.Run for politics instead of carrying b@lls on the media portals. How about Erna run as the first apostate Malay woman MP candidate who will forward a bill for MBs to be women, or declaring Malaysia a secualar state Erna?

v) The reality is that sexism and chauvinism are entrenched in our local as well as political cultures.

AND some women like things this way too. And so long as there is demand, there will be supply.

vi) Telling our MPs to be “good boys” in Parliament isn’t enough because all our men need to be taught to acknowledge women as equals.

ALL OUR MEN? Sorry Erna, women are not the same as men, or vice versa, NOR are men ‘yours’, and cannot be equals in the manner hoped for. Some women recognize this, some can’t. Are you a lesbian or a man trapped in a woman’s body Erna? Erna should have a sex change needed, or if bigendered in preference, lobby for ‘shemale’ to be included on ICs, Passports and perhaps even specil notes on birth certificates stating sex change or bigenderism.

vii) Mentally, feel free to imagine hitting him about the head with a rolled up newspaper. Even virtue has its limits.

Somone’s into rough !@#. Nice! I’d say Erna is a closet lesbian, a man in a woman’s body (too many male hormones in food?), or (secretly?) wants to be dominated by a ‘Bung-like’ man.

viii) You love women when they tell you you’re right. When they agree with you. When they’re meek, pliable and not nearly as good at anything you do.

Some do some don’t. And as the song goes ‘ There’s someone for everyone . . .’ So stop picking on actually meek, pliable and ditzy women who are the raison d’etre of misogynistic men as much as meek, as much as pliable and ditzy women posing as such to seek the love of men they like even if these men are on the mental plane chauvinists! Some gaps in logic? Love and marriage is that nuanced, harems polygamous and polyandrous included . . . try the below link for some pretty normal looking polygamous families.

Under the correct circumstances, or without the right backers, the state would haul Erna up and decide Erna was insane and needed to be medicated the rest of Erna’s life. How absolutist can anyone get and without thinking through the above facts if not merely being a feminist demogogue intent on limiting the myriad forms of expression in marriage?

BERA – The government has tasked two cooperatives to get more Chinese traders to participate in the Retail Shop Transformation Project (Tukar) which has attracted less than 10 per cent of entrepreneurs from the community so far, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said here.

The government had also provided an allocation of RM8 million to the cooperatives – Koperasi Jaya Diri Malaysia Bhd and Koperasi Peralihan Usahawan Bersatu Cina – to do the job, which involved disseminating information on the project in Chinese to the targeted traders, he said.

Ismail Sabri said Chinese traders were reluctant to participate in the project because they could not obtain clear explanation of the project.

“We hope the two cooperatives will help disseminate the relevant information on Tukar in Chinese dialects to the traders for them to better understand the project,” he told reporters after a dialogue with Chinese traders in Triang, here, yesterday.

Tukar is one of 13 Entry Point Projects under the Economic Transformation Programme to modernise 500 small retailers and co-operatives by the end of the year.

Ismail Sabri said it was not necessary for traders joining the Tukar project to sell only 1Malaysia products at their outlets as they could also sell other goods.

“The management of the business is upgraded under the Tukar project to be more systematic,” he said.

– Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Wednesday, 28 November 2012 20:00 posted by VQiong

Only opportunistic MCA cadre participated. No honourable Chinese will take up the offer.

ARTICLE 15

Muhyiddin: We are just and fair to all races – Wednesday, 28 November 2012 16:14

KUALA LUMPUR: UMNO’S track record of being a just and fair party to all races compares favourably with the dysfunctional state governments ruled by Pakatan Rakyat since the 2008 general election.

Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Pakatan leaders, so used to stoking racial sentiments and religious extremism, had alienated each other in states under its rule.

He said a deep mistrust, racial and religious chasm and differing ideologies and political beliefs could seal Pakatan’s fate.

In a rousing speech at the joint opening of the Wanita, Youth and Puteri delegates’ conference last night ahead of the party’s annual general assembly, Muhyiddin said:

“In Penang, DAP refuses to share power with Pas which has only one representative in the state assembly. Until today, none of the Pas members has been appointed as state executive council members.

“DAP went to the extent of appointing a Parti Keadilan Rakyat representative to handle the state religious portfolio although it knew that Pas was more qualified.

“Similarly in Kedah, the sole DAP assemblyman was not appointed as an exco in the Pas-ruled state while in Selangor, a Pas exco member and a DAP exco member had once clashed over the enforcement of Islamic laws in the PKR-led state.”

Muhyiddin added Pakatan’s win in the last general election served, therefore, as “a blessing in disguise for Barisan Nasional because it exposed its inability to work with each other”.

He said power sharing among opposition leaders “had never existed” because of mistrust.

As for Umno, the deputy prime minister said the party continued to protect the interests of all races.

“Umno has never discriminated against any race in its struggles for the Malays and Islam in the last 66 years.”

In an indirect reference to PKR’s de facto leader, Muhyiddin hit out at “an opposition leader” whom he said had requested help from a foreign country to oversee the electoral process.

“He is telling lies to the whole world that our election process is not clean. This is treason and a dirty tactic by a desperado.”

He said Malaysia under the BN administration had never reneged on its power-sharing promises in governing the country.

He also called on party members to give their all in the final lap before the general election.

“As party frontliners, Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri are the workhorses (pasukan tahan lasak). Go to all corners of the country and the cities, traverse valleys and the rivers, uphold our struggles and, God willing, we will parade our victory torch (in the general election).”

– New Straits Times

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Muhyiddin: We are just and fair to all races.

NO, BN and UMNO are not just or fair to all races. Muhyiddin is not fair to all races. There is no justice or fairness without :

We view with serious concerns the Malaysian government’s invitation to Sri Lankan President Mahinder Rajapaksa to attend the 8th World Islamic Economic Forum from December 4 to 6 (despite the latest report that he may not be attending).

This invitation is certainly disgraceful and outrageous as President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a suspected war criminal for mass atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan army including the massacres of Tamil civilians and captured LTTE fighters, targeted shelling of civilians, rape, sexual assault, abuse and murder. In April 2011, a UN expert report concluded that as many as 40,000 people were killed in the final weeks of the war between the LTTE and government forces.

Although Malaysia is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the International Criminal Court (ICC), on 9 February, 2009 the government in its presentation at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the UNHRC stated that “Malaysia has undertaken a detailed study and held consultations to study the legal implications arising from the provisions of the Rome Statute. Despite several concerns, Malaysia is fully committed to the principles and the establishment of the ICC and their integrity.”

We therefore urge the Malaysian government to rescind the invitation to President Mahinda Rajapaksa as this invitation would send damaging signals to victims of mass atrocity in Sri Lanka and globally, Sri Lankan refugees worldwide including in Malaysia, and undermine Malaysia’s credibility on issues of justice and the principles of the ICC.

Seatbelts not fastened, but do we really want to be fined? Get the 222 MPs to remove the fine! If any driver wants to die in an accident from not wearing seatbelts (which is not likely in slow paced jammed up roads in the cities), thats their right to do so.

But fining people only profiteers off the citizens! RM150 is EXCESSIVE especially from this sort of ‘victimless traffic offence’ thing. Was anyone hurt because the driver was not wearing a seatbelt? Was the driver driving quickly? Was the driver doing so many maneuvers with the car that needed a seatbelt to be worn? So the driver without seatbelt on might just be enjoying a sense of FREEDOM and not being bound into a seat to better enjoy a car ride while NOT being criminal minded. WHY does the traffic code need to be so invasive and consider this a crime? Who wrote the code? Also consider that a person who earns less than 1500 a month and barely saves 150 a month is effectively being bled to death by this sort of fine for a traffic offence.

I strongly suggest that 1% of salaries by applied for fining, and NO FINE by applied for those not currently working. This means that a 1000.00 earner pays 10.00 for a traffic offence, with 3% and 10% being levied for more serious or dangerous offences. Just wait till I get my MP’s seat, prepare for MASSIVE overhauls of the system, so are we ready to vote and run for election alongside moi on this issue at least?

Percentage of salary based fines and bails (which seem to all say one thing – the rich are immune to justice and do not feel the pain of fines . . . ) BTW, the officer was ‘kind’ enough to offer to ‘ignore’ the 150 fine for a 50 ‘duit kopi’, but even though moi could have put the money to better use, some of us would rather pay the full 150 than encourage bribery and corruption in the police force. BUT BECAUSE some of us also do not believe in destroying a civil servants life with a brownnoser style report, I’ll leave the reporting of the bribery issue alone (no bribe paid anyway) and take on the state instead by running for candidacy (by proxy perhaps) simply to lower those damn fines or even amend the criminal codes as well. Whats the point of this sort of shameless profiteering?

Oh and the wheel clamp fine by police is excessive also, 50.00? What a waste of time and productivity, citizens may have slower traffic but saving money and time making trips to the payment counter makes for a happier citizen likelier to vote for the existing government. Plastic bags 0.20 cents? 0.05 cents more likely! To inform, out of sheer spirit some citizens hit with fines may not want to riot or turn cop-killers, but they sure as hell will try to screw the system if the system screws them. Whos’s with the 99% in screwing back the system by making fines salary based through forcing MPs to assent to the above by voting someone else? Lets amend the criminal code by kicking out the BN and Pakatan MPs! End the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA! BN and Pakatan look set to not grant :

;so why should we vote them and their 23K salaries? 99% are we ready to vote 3rd Force? Lets LOWER all MP salaries and traffic fines, ditch the Hudud elements in the criinal code ESPECIALLY for non-Muslims and by Human Rights ALLOW Muslims who really want to have Article 18 of the Human Rights Charter their right to exercise what the rest of HUMANITY can!

The last performance: RAF war veteran, 92, set to retire after playing his trumpet every Remembrance Sunday for five decades – by Liz Hull – PUBLISHED: 18:48 GMT, 10 November 2012 | UPDATED: 19:53 GMT, 10 November 2012

For half a century Sidney Patterson has played the Last Post at his local church on Remembrance Sunday in honour of Britain’s war dead.

Performing the poignant trumpet call is the 92-year-old’s way of honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for Queen and country.

But tomorrow’s rendition at Jesus Church, Troutbeck, in the Lake District, will be particularly moving for the former Royal Airforceman and musician because, after 50 years, it will be his last.

For five decades Sidney Patterson has played the Last Post at his local church on Remembrance Sunday in honour of Britain’s war dead

‘I started playing the Last Post in 1962 and have performed it every year since,’ Mr Patterson, a former lead trumpet with the London Palladium Orchestra, said yesterday.

‘I served in the RAF in the war, so it was just a small thing I wanted to do for all those servicemen who had given their lives for their country.

‘I feel honoured to perform it, but it has been 50 years so I thought I’d better call it a day.’

Mr Patterson, who is married with two grandchildren, learned to play the trumpet as a teenager growing up in Cardiff.

He joined the RAF when he was 18 and served as a leading aircraftman throughout the Second World War.

He was posted to Egypt and Aden, where he serviced Wellington aircraft looking for enemy submarines in the Persian Gulf.

It was during this time that he was asked to join the Band of the RAF Middle East, conducted by Squadron Leader Hugo Rignold, the renowned violinist who later went on to become the musical director of the Royal Ballet, as well as conducting the Liverpool Philharmonic and Birmingham Symphony Orchestras.
Tomorrow’s rendition of the Last Post at Jesus Church in the Lake District, will be particularly moving for the former Royal Airforceman and musician because, after 50 years, it will be his last

Tomorrow’s rendition of the Last Post at Jesus Church in the Lake District, will be particularly moving for the former Royal Airforceman and musician because, after 50 years, it will be his last

‘Both my mother and father were musical – my mother was a singer and my father played the piano, so they sent me off to learn the trumpet when I was about 14,’ he said.

‘I was quite talented at it and when I joined the RAF they asked me if I wanted to join the Band of the RAF Middle East.

‘We went on tours all over, through Palestine and North Africa, to entertain the troops. It was wonderful.’

Mr Patterson left the RAF, aged 26, in 1946 and continued to play with bands at grand venues such as London’s Mayfair Hotel and Grosvenor House, before being asked to play lead trumpet with the London Palladium Orchestra, who provided the live sound track for the acclaimed Sunday Night at the London Palladium television show, hosted by Bruce Forsyth, Jimmy Tarbuck and other famous stars in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.

At the same time as performing Mr Patterson trained to be a chiropodist and eventually moved to Kendal to raise his two children with his wife, Morfydd, 85.

Mr Patterson was first asked to play the Last Post by his local British Legion in 1962. Initially, he performed in the church tower, but old age forced him to move to the porch a few years ago

He continued playing his trumpet with a local Big Band in his spare time until he finally retired from music aged 88.

Mr Patterson was first asked to play the Last Post by his local British Legion in 1962. Initially, he performed in the church tower, but old age forced him to move to the porch a few years ago because he could not manage to scale the stone staircase.

‘They used to joke and call me the phantom bugler because no-one could see where I was playing from,’ he added.

‘Nowadays I play the Last Post from the porch. It is a moving piece and I’ve had my trumpet out for the past couple of weeks to practice my scales and get my lips working again so I can do it justice.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The musician’s post in obviously limited positions should be rotated among various persons who want to play. The most competent and most specialised (i.e. plays at many locales and does not have another non-musician job etc..) should be on a list to play. While this would mean that salaries would not be monthly based and personnel could not make a living on being a musician alone, many more people would have a chance to play for military bands. A single person playing for decades shuts out everyone else. If Patterson is replaced by another musician for the same decades long stints, then a lack of democracy would be in effect again.

ARTICLE 2

New dawn? This looks more like a new dusk – by Simon Heffer – PUBLISHED: 22:19 GMT, 7 November 2012 | UPDATED: 09:03 GMT, 9 November 2012

The next four years for America look bleak. It’s not so much a new dawn as a new dusk. And with 50 months left in power, President Obama, his hands tied by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives, is a lame duck already.

He was re-elected despite a majority of voters thinking the economy is on the wrong track. And with tax rises that could wreck recovery due on January 1 – the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ – experts fear a recession here in 2013.

The most sensible policy – which a Romney administration would have pursued – is deficit reduction. Instead, the second Obama term will increase the deficit, further diminishing America’s economic power and credibility.
Lame duck :President Obama, pictured with his wife and daughters at an election night party, has his hands tied by a Republican-controlled House of Representatives

Contradiction: Obama won the election with a decent majority over Romney, despite a majority of voters thinking the economy is on the wrong track

Around $1trillion a year will be added to debt – bringing the total to $20trillion by 2016. This will drive up interest rates on US bonds, and hard-pressed Americans will have to pay more taxes to fund higher interest payments.

Meanwhile, the President is determined to push through his ‘Obamacare’ health insurance policy, which would account for a large part of that increase.

But the Democrats are well aware that the pumping of federal money into corporate bail-outs and infrastructure projects in declining regions is the key to creating a state clientele that keeps voting them back into office.

The administration is already devising stealth taxes to help pay for the bribes it wishes to offer the coalition of minorities that comprise its supporters. Some will corrode the core of American self-reliance, such as taxes on any substantial capital gains made from house sales. Others are simply opportunist, such as a tax on tanning salons.
Commander in chief: Obama was elected by the country to serve another four years in the White House

Obama’s ‘Obamacare’ aims to increase the governments funding of healthcare for Americans, but will cost billions- adding to the crippling debt

These are all measures of how desperate the financial situation is – a reality apparently kept from most of the American electorate, so far.

Washington observers speak of the incompetence of the Obama administration – not just its ability to waste money, but also to target funds so badly. There is very little to show for the $787billion fiscal stimulus of 2009. A fraction of it could have been used to create serious sea defences around New York and New Jersey, to avoid the devastation of last week’s storm, for example.

Sensible: Mitt Romney (seen here with his wife Ann during his election night rally in Boston) would have pursued deficit reduction, which is the most viable option to save America’s economy

Many feel that Super-storm Sandy occurring so close to the election swung many voters in Obama’s favour

Swingeing taxes that fall disproportionately on wealth-creators and entrepreneurs will not be all that stalls an economic recovery. So too will a failing national infrastructure whose state of disrepair is beyond pork-barrel handouts from Washington to local communities, but requires a big federal programme – and big federal money.

Roads, rail and airports all cry out for investment and improvement. But as long as money is thrown at failing industries – such as in the car industry bail-out that helped Mr Obama win Ohio and Michigan this week – the administration cannot afford to take big strategic decisions such as these.

The domestic economy is, however, only the beginning of Mr Obama’s problems. The Republicans will do all they can in the House to obstruct high-spending and socially damaging policies – creating legislative deadlock.

And as America subsides into a welfarist, subsidy culture, so will its paranoia about China – already running at near-hysterical levels in some manufacturing regions – grow. America increasingly fears China both as an economic and a military titan – the two components of being a superpower.

Defence cuts in America are inevitable once the borrowing binge brings serious damage to the economy – as it will by mid-term, if not before – and that will increase the nation’s sense of vulnerability towards the Chinese.

And America’s intractable unemployment problem – it was 8 per cent when President Obama assumed office and is 7.9 per cent now – is increasingly perceived as the result of a highly disciplined and well-trained workforce in China that systematically undercuts over-regulated American business.

Mr Obama must choose a new Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton – who may well run for the Democratic nomination in 2016 – has signalled a wish to stand down. Whoever succeeds her – and a favourite is John Kerry, who lost the 2004 presidential election to George W Bush – has to deal with Iran’s determination to become a nuclear power, and that state’s continuing threats against Israel.

The human cost of such a conflict would be terrible, and American diplomacy might not be equal to preventing either Israel or Iran choosing to strike at the other.

Less widely appreciated is the catastrophic effect it would have on the global economy through oil prices, and especially on an America that is already hobbling.

Team: Obama called Biden ‘America’s happy warrior’ as he paid tribute to his role in the election campaign

Obama’s supporters claim the worst is over, and the best is yet to come.

Such clichés patronise not merely the American public who, by re-electing him, have chosen the soft option rather than a confrontation with economic reality. They also patronise a substantial part of the developed world that, even if it no longer looks to America for political leadership, relies for its standard of living on the US being economically strong.

On the evidence of the past four years, notably Mr Obama’s record of serial economic incompetence, the next four are going to be exceptionally trying – and, sadly, not just for Americans.

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Just moi? Or is Dailymail exhibiting so subtle a racism that even the targets could appreciate racism. Dusk = darkness = . . .

Sometimes human conflict is not the issue but when ‘fanatics’ (heres one with all the winks and nudges Dailymail might appreciate . . . ) are going to infiltrate the country and pull a 911 or a Subway bomb (really hope these are not CIA and MI6 contrived agitprop to further an Orwellian state), Obama joining in such a conflict is the least of humanity’s problems. Perhaps in the interest of preserving genetic propensities that might be inserted into the correct ‘warriors’ in the distant future, warzones should be created for these sorts to retire to. Evil Microstates for ‘fanatics’ anyone? Can’t imagine a faith’s peoples being barred from entering such and such states, but this might well be the best bet if USA wants to ‘keep safe’. Tourists are just too disingenuous to overlook, and Muslim Tourists are an oxymoron if anything in so many ways.

There will be a permanent chilling of relations hereon but human cost of conflict will continue so long as oppressive governments are allowed to frustrate their citizens entertainment wise, and politically, or bore their citizens with theocracy into mindless obedience (there is nothing else but prayer, so killing and dying would be a release to would be terrorists) reacting with violence. Religion does that, ESPECIALLY Islam or any religion that denies pleasure or recreation or refuses to legalise organics psychedelics, RLDs and distribute wealth and land equitably (Occupy Movement, various Riots in Western nations) instead of sharing and allowing FUN.

The world without religion, but lots of fun activities, interesting food and drugs to try out (under medical supervision so that no ODs occur, then again if they die, no loss either – self inflicted), and no need to work may not be very much for a capitalist, fascist or moralist to play with (Theocrats tend to be fascist moralists and are surrounded by trappings of extreme Capitalism . . . ) and who needs these nuts, but there will always be pockets of ambitions and technologically inclined that will not need war at that point to progress mankind even as everyone else lounges around. As for war and invasions, the 2nd Amendment should extend to ownership of military grade weapons and craft. If every 10 billion-and-above-aire were required to maintain and own an air craft carrier or every billionaire wee required to own a Cruiser class vessel, the lack of weapons issue would not be a problem. If every citizen above 18 drove a Tank or APC, or owned a Howitzer the USA (or planet) would be ‘uninvadable’. But instead we have CITIZENS paying for a police and military which is used to oppress fellow citizens. Think of expansions to the 2nd amendment! Try the response to article 4 link below :

UPDATE 3:03 p.m. King and Pierce County prosecutors are dismissing more than 220 misdemeanor marijuana cases in response to Tuesday’s vote to decriminalize small amounts of pot.

In King County, 175 cases are being dismissed involving people 21 and older and possession of one ounce or less. I-502 makes one ounce of marijuana legal on Dec. 6, but King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg decided to apply I-502 retroactively.

“Although the effective date of I-502 is not until December 6, there is no point in continuing to seek criminal penalties for conduct that will be legal next month,” Satterberg said in a statement.

The dismissed cases involved arrests in unincorporated King County, as well as the state highways and the University of Washington. About 40 of the cases had already been filed in court as criminal charges; those charges will be dismissed. Another 135 cases were pending charging decisions and will simply be returned to the arresting police agency.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said he was dismissing “about four dozen” pending cases where misdemeanor marijuana was the only offense. He said his staff was continuing to prosecute other cases where possession was secondary to a more serious charge, such as drunken driving.

“The people have spoken through this initiative,” said Lindquist. “And as a practical matter, I don’t think you could sell a simple marijuana case to a jury after this initiative passed.”

In an interview, Satterberg said his office would continue to prosecute marijuana possession above one ounce, allowing for “a buffer for those whose scales are less than accurate.” His office also charges felony possession — for people with more than 40 grams — although he said his staff routinely allows those defendants to plead down to a misdemeanor.

“I think when the people voted to change the policy, they weren’t focused on when the effective date of the new policy would be. They spoke loudly and clearly that we should not treat small amounts of marijuana as an offense,” he said.
I-502 campaign manager Alison Holcomb said she was “incredibly moved” by Satterberg’s announcement, which she said showed “incredible courage.”

The decision supports a prime argument I-502 made during the campaign. A study by a group of academics found there had been 241,000 misdemeanor marijuana possession cases in Washington over the past 25 years, 67,000 of them in the past five years. “If 502 hadn’t passed, we’d see the same amount of marijuana possession cases every year,” she said. “What makes a difference is changing the law.”

Satterberg is the first prosecutor to change charging policy after I-502, but other prosecutors are also considering these cases. Tom McBride of the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys said his office “just starting to work through those issues.”

Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes has refused to prosecute misdemeanor possession cases since he took office.

Earlier this week, the chief criminal deputy prosecutor in Spokane County, Jack Driscoll, appeared to take a more conservative position. He told the Spokesman-Review that, even after Dec. 6, the only marijuana which was legal to possess was pot sold in the state-licensed stores called for in I-502. Those stores won’t be created for at least a year.

“The only thing that is legal is selling marijuana through those stores,” Driscoll said. “That will be regulated by the state. You can’t under this initiative have an ounce of marijuana that doesn’t come from a state-issued provider. You still can’t have black-market marijuana.”

Holcomb disputed that interpretation. So did Satterberg, who called it a “very narrow reading” of the initiative. “I don’t know how you trace where (the marijuana) comes from,” he said.
Satterberg said he expected federal authorities to seek an injunction to block implementation of I-502’s state licensing scheme for marijuana retailers and growers. “I think it’s the kind of issue the U.S. Supreme Court will have a final word on,” said Satterberg, calling it an “an important state’s rights issue.”
But he does not expect a federal lawsuit to target the types of cases he is dismissing, noting that states already have widely divergent penalties for marijuana possession.

All they did was smoke something Mother Nature grew for them. Why should they suffer in jail AND at the taxpayer’s expense as well? Finally the justice system is STARTING (only barely, lots of term limitless/collusion/uncontrolled-capitalism/studentdebt-financiar-complex type issues!) making sense.

ARTICLE 4

No holds barred: The professional ‘cuddler’ who makes $260 a day by inviting strangers to take a nap with her at home

Spooning peacefully in a double bed, this pair could be any normal couple on a Sunday morning.

But revisit the scene an hour later and Jackie Samuel will be curled up in the arms of another man.

The 29-year-old is a professional cuddler. She turned to snuggling with strangers to help pay for her studies and provide for her young son.
Comfort zone: Jackie Samuel cuddles her client at The Snuggery in Rochester, New York

She added: ‘Some have said I am worse than a prostitute because they think snuggling is more intimate than sex. I’ve been told I’m monetizing love.’

One of her repeat customers, who would only give his name as Tim, disagrees with her critics.

He said Jackie’s cuddles had helped him following a bad break-up and described the sessions as ‘meditative’.

He even said he would continue to see her while in a relationship.

‘There’s no cheating element, it’s not immoral,’ he said.

Little spoon: But Jackie draws the line at intimate touching

Bedtime reading: Jackie says she has a number of repeat customers

Jackie cuddles up to 30 men a week as well as a number of women

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is just to HOLD, not ‘HAVE’. Auric prostitution? Different from sexual prostitution. But still prostitution. To each their own then, but considering the price for doing nothing and just sleeping on the job, barring contract caveats to prevent incidental abuse, this is excessive!

ARTICLE 5

The anorexic statement

Trust me, notice me, feed me: every female body conveys a message. So, when a woman starves herself, what is she saying? – by Rachel Cusk Published 31 October 2012

I knew a woman whose job it was to take anorexics to the swimming pool. She was an occupational therapist: eating disorders were her field. She worked at a nearby clinic and we bumped into one another from time to time.

I found myself curious about her work, or more truthfully about her patients, those singular modern-day martyrs to the cause of their own bodies. Without quite knowing why, as I have grown older I have become more interested in – it could even be said, more respectful of – what might be called the anorexic statement. Perhaps it’s because, as the 45-year-old English mother of two children, my body has little power of provocation or utterance; or rather, that what it’s said or tried to say through the years hasn’t seemed to have added up to all that much. Quite what constitutes the anorexic statement I’m not entirely sure. All the same, it has a great power of disruption. It’s a stray spoke under the wheel of things that otherwise have the capacity to hurtle on headlong: family life, fashion, the destiny of the female body. The statement might be: help me. Or it might simply be: stop.

My therapist acquaintance herself had not been allowed to be picky in life, growing up in a family of brothers on a farm in the Australian outback. She knew how to shoot, drive a tractor, ride a horse bareback. She had left that rough home and come to the UK, where every couple of years for the sake of change she moved job and town – Slough, Birmingham, Chelmsford – though her solitude and her line of work did not alter. She neither sought nor seemed to expect much in the way of pleasure. In the evenings she made a sandwich and read a book in her rented room; her main meal was lunch in the canteen at the clinic, where food was plentiful and cheap. This somewhat joyless attitude to nourishment could come as no surprise, given that she spent her days among females who regarded the ingestion of a teaspoonful of peas as a physical and spiritual crisis. Once a week she led them to the poolside, skeletal and pale, for all the world to see. Even at the swimming pool these curious beings detected the threat of penetration, of the outside coming in. They didn’t want to get in the water, not, apparently, because they felt self-conscious or exposed, but for fear that they might swallow some of it without its calorific content having been established.

The easiest thing that could be said about my acquaintance was that she herself was impenetrable. Her choice of career must have sprung from some initial attraction to or sympathy with the anorexic state, but most often what she appeared to feel for her waifish charges was irritation, even anger. Anger is a common response, it seems, to the anorexic statement. At the very least, returning from a day spent on the receiving end of that statement, my acquaintance was hard put to feel – as they say – good about herself. If the anorexic is someone for whom the relationship between female being and female image must, on pain of death, be resolved, it may be that she denies that resolution to those who cross her path. They become the witnesses of her vulnerability; as such, she is more real than they. Like with the ascetic of old, her self-denial is a form of chastisement, yet the extremity of her appearance is confusing. Being female, it seeks attention, but of an unusual kind. It asks to be mothered – yet what if its aim is indeed to challenge the reality of the mother-figure and overpower it, to triumph over her, to consign her to flesh and steal her image? The anorexic is out to prove how little she needs, how little she can survive on; she is out, in a sense, to discredit her nurturers, while at the same time making a public crisis out of her need for nurture. Such vulnerability and such power: it brings the whole female machinery to a halt. My acquaintance had tales of rudeness and tantrums and sulks, of behaviour more commonly read about in childcare manuals (of the kind whose purpose, we are told, is to “test the boundaries”), even of a degree of personal insult which at the very least, I suppose, mothers aren’t paid to tolerate. She had no children of her own. And so, in an admirable interpretation of the social contract, she recognised she had something in that line to give.

Jenefer Shute offers some riveting descriptions of such interactions, between the anorexic inpatient Josie and her carers, in her novel Life-Size. “In the body,” Josie chillingly muses, “as in art, perfection is attained not when there’s nothing left to add, but when there’s nothing left to take away.”

Armed with this credo, she can exercise contempt on everyone around her (“They say I’m sick, but what about them, who feast on corpses?”), in what becomes a radical reliving of her primary experiences of nurture. And it needs to be radicalised: this is the moral value of the anorexic statement, that it asks questions not just of mothers or fathers or fashion editors, but of the whole societal basis for the female image. This time around, Josie can speak her mind. She can criticise the people who care for her; she can re-experience the powerlessness of childhood and know it for what it is. So unpleasant is she to the “freckled cow” who nurses her that she finally gets the reprimand she has apparently been asking for:

“Josephine, I must ask you please not to speak to me like that. I’m not your servant.” And then, unable to contain herself: “And would you please look at me when I talk to you? It really gets on my nerves.” Coldly, victoriously, I remain precisely as I am. She really should have more control.

Soon after, however, the 68-pound tyrant, having agreed at last to eat something or be force-fed through a tube, makes a revealing request of her nurse: “I want you to feed me,” she says.

My acquaintance found it hard to muster much interest in herself at the day’s end. She rarely went out or saw people: it was as though her work had bled her of confidence. She sought not public interactions but the determined security of her private boundary. In the evenings she changed into loose clothes, shut herself in her room, shut herself into a book. She wanted to be where no one could demand anything of her, like a depleted mother, except with none of the prestige of motherhood. She never kept company with men, and her female world was wholly predicated on an insidious notion, that certain women are there to give attention and others to receive it. Sometimes it seemed that her patients had indeed stolen her image and left her with nothing to trade, nothing to barter with for some share of the world’s interest. They had stolen her image and left her a mere body that could find no reflection or definition for itself. She went back home for a few weeks on holiday and returned browner, more animated, and heavier. All that meat they went in for, meat roasted over a fire and served at every meal. But more to the point, a world in which food was an entitlement and a human bond.

In her own world food had become a weapon: her evening sandwich and her indifference were a kind of savourless pacifism she exercised against it. She spent her days among people who denied themselves food in order to experience, perhaps, power, whose apparent intention to make themselves invisible made them, in fact, visible, who had discovered that by becoming less they became more. And no­where was this clearer than in the fact that they required her as their witness, for disappearing was no fun unless someone noticed you’d gone. But if anyone was disappearing, if anyone was becoming invisible, it was she.

The question of how she had come to be stranded in this place remains difficult to answer, but its source may lie in the very practicality – the tractors, the horses – she had crossed the world to escape. Denied her own experience of femininity, she had perhaps embarked on a kind of pilgrimage to find and serve these notable victims to the riddling perversity of feminine values. She could help them, sit with them while they wept and shrieked over a teaspoonful of peas, she who had never had the temerity to question or refuse anything she had been given; she who was not important enough, as it were, to be anorexic, for the hieratic significance of the anorexic body depends on it having been ascribed a value in the first place. Had she tried to starve herself on the farm where she grew up, she might simply have died: her protest, in any case, would not have been understood. She had taken photographs of this place, on her recent trip home. In order to capture its isolation, she had photographed it from a distance, recording the miles of surrounding scrubland in a sequence of separate frames that she laid one next to another across the table in a long connecting strip. Amid these featureless wastelands she defied me to locate her home, and though my eyes searched and searched the landscape it was true that I could find no evidence of human habitation. She laughed, with an unmistakable and strangely exhilarated pride, and laid her finger over a low brown shape that crouched amid the boulders and bushes that extended all around it, on and on to the white horizon. It was so small her fingertip covered it. “There it is,” she said.

It may seem superfluous for a 45-year-old mother-of-two to say that she does not exult in the life of the body, but let’s just call it a place to begin. At the very least, as a statement, it raises numerous lines of inquiry. One might be: is it obligatory, or even a moral duty, to take pleasure in one’s own physical being? Leaving aside for a moment the question of what definition of pleasure one could possibly arrive at in this particular hall of mirrors, is the value of the physical quest in any way comparable with that of the artistic, the emotional, the spiritual?

I understand the anorexic’s notion of pleasure far better than the hedonist’s. Sometimes it has seemed to me that the second kind of pleasure is consequent on the first, that the life of sensation can be accessed only from a place of perfect self-discipline, rather as strict religious practices were once believed to constitute the narrow path to heaven. The anorexic, like the ascetic before her, publicly posits the immolation of the flesh as a manifestation of a primary physical discontent she is on her way to escaping: she represents a journey whose starting point is disgust. Body is found to be not only intolerable to but weaker than mind – how, then, can its desires and yearnings be taken seriously? The anorexic statement suggests a second body, one that will be painstakingly encroached on and attained; and hence, a second template for desire. This second body will belong to its owner as the first did not: its desires, therefore, will be experienced as not shameful, but true.

The female form is inherently susceptible to this duality, but the difficulty with the anorexic statement is that once it becomes open to other readings it breaks down. At some point in the journey a line is crossed: the slim body becomes the freakish starved body, and one by one the anorexic’s grounds for superiority are discredited and revoked. She is not beautiful but repellent, not self-disciplined but out of control, not enviable but piteous, and, most disappointing of all, she is publicly courting not freedom and desire but death. Even she may find these things difficult to believe. How to go back, on that journey? How to retrace one’s steps? For in getting where she needed to go the anorexic had to sacrifice the concept of normality. In a manner of speaking she sold her soul. She can never be “normal” about food or flesh again. So, how is she meant to live?

If the anorexic arouses irritation, even anger, it may be this quitting of normality that is to blame, because the female management of normality is a formidable psychical task from which most women don’t feel entitled to walk away. By quitting it she exposes it, she criticises it as a place to live, and moreover she forces each woman who passes her way to choose between denial and recognition of her statement, disgust.

Is it disgusting to be a woman? Menstruation, lactation, childbirth, the sexualisation of the female body – in recognising these things as her destiny, a girl is asked to forget everything that her prepubescent instincts might formerly have suggested to her. In becoming female she must cease to be universal, and relinquish the masculine in herself that permitted her as a child to find the idea of these things disgusting indeed. Likewise that masculine is now embodied for her in men, so the question becomes – do men find women disgusting? The anorexic statement dispenses with that perspective. It returns the woman to the universality of the child, and from that fusion formulates itself: I find myself disgusting.

If it has become a cultural cliché that women want to be thin more than they want to be loved (the three most cherished words these days, so the saying goes, being not “I love you” but “You’ve lost weight”), and moreover that they want to be thin not for men but for one another, the general observer might be tempted to view this as making the case for male innocence (at last!), even male redundancy.

Yet, looked at another way, the male and the preponderance of male values are perhaps more culpable in the incrimination of the female form than ever. An eating disorder epidemic suggests that love and disgust are being jointly marketed, as it were; that wherever the proposition might first have come from, the unacceptability of the female body has been disseminated culturally. Is it possible that disgust has finally got, in the famed male gaze, the upper hand? From whom, after all, has a woman ever wished to hear the words “I love you” but a man?

In Life-Size, Jenefer Shute posits the anorexic state as having two separate sources, one in the female (subjective, mother) and the other in the male (objective, father). Between them they engender in the anorexic subject the confusion between being and image of which one might suppose her to be merely an extreme cultural example. Mother – the female body – is indeed the source of disgust, but it is father – if one can be permitted the leap of seeing father as analogous with male and, indeed, with society – who makes that disgust public and hence catalyses it into shame. Without father, mother might merely have passed her disgust silently on to daughter, where it would have remained as an aspect of her private, interior being. But father brings it to the surface: it is something not just felt but now also seen. These confirmations, in Shute’s narrative, of interior suspicion (am I disgusting?) by outward commentary (yes, you are) are fatal to female self-perception in ways that might seem obvious but are none­theless intractable.

Outside and inside – image and being – are now held to be one: the girl/woman revisits and tests this impossibility by becoming the observer – the male – herself, looking at and remarking on the bodies of other women. Naturally, the discovery that image can be changed is not new: it is and always has been part of becoming a woman, in a sense that, although slenderness has long been a feminine ideal, self-hatred and the compulsion to starve oneself to death have broadly not. The question of disgust returns, accompanied by its shadow, the question of pleasure.

A personal admission: not long ago, in a period of great turmoil, I lost a considerable amount of weight. The first thing to say about this is that I was unaware, inexplicably, that it had happened. That my clothes no longer fitted passed me by: I noticed it only because other people told me so. They appeared shocked: each time I met someone I knew, there it would be, shock, a startled expression on the face. At first, I was startled in turn. They were not seeing who they expected to see; who, then, were they seeing? After a while I got used to it: indeed, I came to expect, almost to require it. A newborn baby needs to be mirrored by another human being in order to grasp that she has an outward surface, that this “self” has an appearance, that her image speaks. Through the shock of others I learned that I, too, had been shocked, that I was no longer the person I once was. My image was speaking, to me as well as to other people, telling me things I did not yet appear to know or realise.

But eventually the question of “normality” returned, as it must in the life of a 45-year-old mother-of-two. Stop, help me, feed me: this may have been my cry, but the truth was there was no one, any more, to answer. There could be no illusion, as an adult; I had left it too late to stage this apotheosis, this defeat of the first body, predicated as it is on the expectation of rescue. I had to draw back from it myself. And this was where the problem arose, because, like the anorexic, I found I could not retrace my steps, could not, as it were, go back to sleep. For years I had lived in my body half-consciously, ignoring it mostly, dismissing its agendas wherever I could, and forever pressing it into the service of mental conceptions that resulted, almost as a by-product, sometimes in its pleasuring and sometimes in its abuse. People were always telling me I should do yoga: this was one of the running jokes I had against my own flesh, for the idea that I would suspend the intellectual adventure of living even for one hour to dwell in the dumb and inarticulate realm of the auto-corporeal was as unappealing as that of spending an evening with someone I disliked. Now, as the weeks passed, instead of shock, my appearance was beginning to elicit milder manifestations of concern. I didn’t know what it meant: had I changed again? Was I no longer fragile and vulnerable? I had no idea. Never before in my life had I dared to be fragile, and all I knew was that I wasn’t ready to leave what I had become. “Have you ever thought of doing yoga?” someone said.

As a teenager I had been tormented by hunger and by an attendant self-disgust, for I saw in other girls a balance, an openness of form, that suggested they had nothing inside of which they need be ashamed. Their bodies were like well-schooled ponies, handsome and obedient, whereas I had a monster inside me whose appeasement was forever disrupting the outward surface of life. It craved so many things it could barely discriminate between them, and so indiscrimination – the failure to distinguish between what mattered and what didn’t, what helped and what didn’t, what it needed and what just happened to be there – became its public nature. It wanted, in fact, what it could get, in the light of what it couldn’t.

How thoroughly the tangible and the in­tangible confused themselves in those years. Creativity, the placement of internal material into space, the rendering tangible, became my weapon against that confusion.

When I left my boarding school – the blue serge uniform and the Cambridgeshire drizzle, the plates of stodge that were so predictable and real, the torturing sense of female possi­bilities that were not – I learned to manage the monster, more or less. Like the first Mrs Rochester it had a locked room of its own, from which it sometimes succeeded in breaking free to rend into shreds my fantasies of femininity, but I had set my mind on higher things. By locking up the monster I was making myself at heart unfree: what did I know of freedom in any case? I was accustomed to fantasy and to the safety – albeit uncomfortable – it supplied, and the notion of an integrated self was the most uncomfortable fantasy of all. In a sense, it was the monster: I could neither kill it nor live with it, and so there it remained, caged, bellowing and banging intermittently through the years, creating perhaps the sense of something amiss in those who came close to me, but caged all the same.

Yoga, understandably enough, was out: nothing could have persuaded me to enter that cage armed only with a sun salute. But my sudden emaciation in middle age did bring me into contact with the monster again, for, amid all the other losses, there in the rubble of the desecrated life, I appeared to see it lying dead at my feet. The Jungian notion of the “middle passage”, in which at mid-life all the templates for self expire or fall away, in which with sufficient destruction one has a chance to return to the blankness of birth, might have explained that death well enough to avoid detection: it simply went up in the fire, the horrible secret, along with everything else. And here, after all, was a chance to be free of my own image, the bind in which my body had held me for all these years, because, while wanting more than anything to be feminine, I had only and ever found my own femininity disgusting. This image, knitted together over time by questions and confirmations (Am I disgusting? Yes, you are), was one I was now prepared to sustain: I was poised to make the anorexic statement, to vanish, to let image and being finally become one.

But of course, no such thing occurs: there is no “letting”, no seamless transposition of the flesh. The anorexic body is held in the grip of will alone; its meaning is far from stable. What it says – notice me, feed me, mother me – is not what it means, for such attentions constitute an agonising test of that will, and also threaten to return the body to the dreaded “normality” it has been such ecstasy to escape.

For the first time since my teenage years I found myself tormented again by hunger: the monster had awoken from its slumber, bigger and more ferocious than ever. The route back to normality being blocked, I have had to devise other ways of getting there, or of seeming to. My occupational therapist acquaintance tells me that many of her patients are women of my age, women who have suddenly tried to slip the noose of their female flesh once its story – menstruation, lactation, childbirth – has been told in all its glory and shame.

When I relate this to my female friends they take it humorously, rolling their eyes and laughing, gallantly owning up – oh yes, they say, we know – to monsters of their own. Most of them haven’t delivered themselves into its jaws quite so thoroughly as I have; their dislike of their own bodies is a kind of low-level irritant, a necessary component of the female environment, but to think about it too much would spoil everyone’s fun.

I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, either, though for now I have spoiled my own. It did seem, for a while, as though the death-state of physical denial might contain the possibility of transcendence, the chance to step out of my self-disgust and make true contact at last: contact of my “real”, my second, self with the outer world. That I felt this had always been denied me, that in the negotiation between being and image all, for me, had been lost, was a stark kind of truth to face up to. Passing other women in the street these days, I seem to hear their bodies speaking. A lot of what they say is unclear to me, or at the very least so foreign that it takes me a moment to translate it. For instance: I accept myself. Or: respect me. The ones I like best are the ones that say, trust me. What I will never be able to hear unequivocally, whether whispered or shrieked, is: desire me. Notice me, feed me, mother me. Passing by the anorexic girl, stepping lightly and silently in the shadows, I hear her message and in a way I salute her for it. Other bodies have other messages, but for this one I have ears.

Rachel Cusk is most recently the author of “Aftermath: on Marriage and Separation” (Faber & Faber, £12.99)

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Way above the usual affirmative feminist nonsense (have you been sucking on my brains? (jk), though an article focused around normal people would have been better and reached more people. Sensitive and well timed to balance the spate of overweight affirmative articles recently. Thin and sickly are as valid as overfat, and will doubtless have fans as well though not so many being non-mainstream.

The site of the Japanese military’s largest “comfort station” in Asia during the Second World War is crumbling away, in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province. (CNS Photo/Yang Bo)

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Contrived article? Then caution friends when addressing, but since this article is sort of interesting, do read – but with caution!

Perhaps the negativity of the place’s former purpose could be used by installing a similar purposed place like a strip club or brothel featuring specifically Japanese red light culture and Japanese women! In spiritual terms, a brothel directly based on Chinese joy over Japanese abuse could be the spiritual death of the subsequent generations of Japanese who’s previous generations (all those not involved in the Nanjing Holocaust are not the Japanese that any logical Chinese want to target, many good Japanese people had no part or older generation that gained from such actions – those who have can be determined as friend or foe and TWICE foe if anti-Chinese AND who have taken part in the Holocaust and should be very wary of righteous anger . . . how would they feel if China did the same to Japan?) abused comfort women in Jiangsu.

Does China have the will to legalise Red Light Districts? A portion of Japan’s population would be ‘controlled’ by this very action . . . also in a lesser sense the military of Japan as well (lesser because regular citizens lack the discipline of the formal military trained person). Until Japan apologises and seeks out the subsequent generations of all families with forced comfort women in their history (a very small percentage were consensual but that does not make forcing probably 99% into slavery) to compensate and apologise, the curse upon the backs of Chinese merrymakers in every former comfort station, could well damn the Japanese for generations to come with a single protective caveat being that all who do not speak Chinese or are ethnic Chinese be disallowed entry. This method is a synchronicity based occult attack, that another race in South East Asia is attempting to down China by, so will China do the appropriate . . .

ARTICLE 6

Shemales – posted by mtairara on 30/07/2012

Male?? female?? Shemale?? What are you?? These are the questions being asked and a buzz has formed around the entire LSCK reports the Eltorros Bulletin. It all started when a certain Bright Nunoo could not stomach these mysterious characters hovering around the group and their sex was not known, in particular; one Kadioli Kadjo who was the subject of interest of LSCKWA(liverpool supporters club Kenya wolves association) had been the cause of mind bending concern and questions had to be raised. in a shocking revelation; Kadjo confessed to being a woman and well before the dust could settle, he had received inbox messages, some even rumoured to go as far as as for ‘her’ hand in marriage. Investigative journalist Tush Ole Muyah exposed the shemale for what it really was and this did not go down well with a mr Lyatuu Cornel Andrew who proceeded to launch a rant; Lyatuu who is not used to being one to take matters laying down was not impressed when the two most famous group Shemales Monkey Bobby and Kadjo were competing who the better female was.
Back to the inbox story, it has been rumoured that Victor Sergon together with other un-named members of the group held talks on a personal level with the intention to ‘sign’ kadjo into thier hearts.
After this whole debacle, Kadjo proceeded to assure the group members that he was a man(which now begs the question on his sexual orientation) and that the lady in the photo is his wife. The question on people’s minds now is this; Since Kadjo is in japan where there are alot of cross dressers, when he comes to kenya, will someone lift up his skirt and reveal his ‘man-gina’??
Kadjo also proceeded to produce the following statement
‘guys am sorry for hurting some of you tho twas me who was hurt the most cz of being hit on by guys who thot i ws a lady,the pic is of my wife,am rilly sorry for any inkonvinience i may av put u through,hoipe u accept my apology n still take me as one of u?anythng that was said in inboxes will remain there.’
This only added fuel to the fire with most members asking to know what was said in those inbox messeges.
On the other hand, It was revealed by David Mjei Mliverpool that Monkey booby is now a fully fledged female after undergoing hormonal transplants and that his boobs have grown on his chest and that they are doing well, but fact remains that s/he/it is a shemale and once in a while its man-gina blossoms once it sees males passing.

till next time amigos ~adios~ Eltorros Bulletin

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is not very accurate. While most TRANSEXUALS prefer to be considered ‘fully fledged’ women, TRANSEXUALS are ALWAYS NEVER fully fledged women BECAUSE medical science does not have ability to grow ovaries, fallopian tubes and wombs and maybe the grafting technology to allow dual gendered bearing of children. TRANSWOMAN is the correct term, not fully fledged woman. Even though accuracy of terminology does (unhappily) place transexuals below women PHYSICALLY, spiritually yes . . . transexuals ARE women, even before the SRS but that is only internal and not physical which is needed to be fully fledged.

Note1 : differentiate transexual from shemale (2 variants) – a shemale MUST always have a penis and scrotal sac with testicles intact for the alpha types who are either bixsexual or ‘male lesbians’, OR for beta shemales who MUST keep the penis (to qualify as she-MALE) but who also sometimes remove the scrotal sac and testicles to be more submissive or feminine (lower testorone, though beta shemales can be dominant in a male-shemale relationship as well . . . ) or because they do not want to have children AS natural MEN.

Without the intact or partially intact MALE genitalia centered around the Penis (scrotal sac alone is not as responsive as the phallus so moot point and quite uninteresting to boot), the term shemale cannot be used at all because this is in reference to maleness within a female form. Shemales have either or both because they physically WANT to have sex using a penis, rather than with a vagina (Bobbit types do not really count as the preferably erectable penis is either the primary or secondary highlight of the shemale subculture).

Transexuals however by choice want/have neither penis nor scrotal sac and testicles, (they do not want any male bits being women mentally and spiritually) and also will take great pains to have an artificially constructed ‘man-gina’ because they physically WANT to have sex using a vagina complete with clitoris (man-gina is a semi-offensive term depending on sense of dominance, orientation and genital identification), rather than a penis which is what defines women and shemale (the simple explanation being a man with augmented breasts and either above described forms of genitalia).

Of course when the organ growing technology is there, a ‘shemale’ ‘proper’, as currently termed (and actually a shadow of what an actual shemale should be), would probably be technically only usable by those who have FULLY FUNCTIONAL nethers of BOTH sexes, which is also possible as a natural state just described, but this is so rare that the current term applies to the first definition as well, though inaccurate. For now ‘shemales’ are refer to the above limited MALE genitalia forms.

Well wanna repost without the b.s. I identified for you Torros? (Please ignore Sophia’s praise, I had in fact researched/written a (poorly circulated so not worthy of mention) ‘chick-lit’ book on the subject subculture and know the inaccuracies of terminology.

A Pittsburgh-area tattoo parlor owner says she saved some money by using real money to tile her space — with 250,000 pennies.

Mel Angst was looking for an inspired way to tile the floor of the Garfield, Pa. tattoo gallery, Artisan, which she runs with her husband, tattoo artist Jason Angst.

“My floor is made out of about 250,000 pennies,” Angst told ABC Pittsburgh affiliate WTAE. “Amazingly enough, it’s a lot cheaper to glue money to your floor than to actually buy tile. It’s about $3 a square foot.”

Angst said that after she found the appropriate adhesive to affix the pennies to the floor of her shop, she then found people via Facebook to log the man hours. She bartered tiling labor for $10 off per hour on tattoo work, she told ABCNews.com.

“Some days it was just me,” she said. “I think the most we ever had was 7, but on average, (we have) 3 or 4 people a day for about 10 to 16 hours a day for about three weeks straight, gluing these down … People are just shocked that we did it because it took about 300 man hours, which was crazy.”

In total there will be approximately 800 square feet of Lincoln profiles.

Artisan had a gallery show last week where people could view the new floor, and Angst looks forward to next week, when it will be grouted, shined and completed. Once it is done, everyone that logged 30 hours of penny-tiling is promised a free penny tattoo from the shop.

The gallery plans to partner with Tazza D’Oro and open a coffee shop inside the space this spring.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Big deal. Try topping the one where the SRS Surgeon Tiles Ceiling With 250,000 PENISES (preserved). Needle no match for knife! And this features spears! These sort of numbers of course will only be when the institution of Imperial Chinese Eunuchry returns or if popularity of Transexualism (differentiate for Transgenderism and Bixesuality which do not include SRS) in society occurs(not likely given the cost, we don’t even have healthcare for most of the elderly) . So ask the politburo to have a popular vote (1 man 1 vote? 1.3 billion should take a decade to census, the massive media search for candidates could well take a few months of pageantry to decide – but could be a world changing event bigger than 911 who knows . . . ) to decide who’s to be Emperor.

Start collecting SRS surgeons in China, but please locate the ‘preciouses’ in an appropriate place (palace Eunuch graveyards?). China wins! Well USA could still prepare the same version but of the animal pets who did not consent and never knew or had a choice . . . China still wins! Because the record is based around HUMAN Penises and WITH informed consent contributed! Now where’s that dildo, some THIEF probably took even that, return the dildo or have the favour returned! . . . (Moral of the story is, don’t steal dildos and pennies are but a farthing in the world of phallic shaped issues . . .

Ronnie Wood, seen here with Sally Humphries, says Rolling Stones are not being greedy for charging as much as £950 for concert seats

With a personal fortune of £20million, it’s safe to say Ronnie Wood isn’t struggling to make ends meet.

However the Rolling Stones guitarist denies he and his bandmates are being greedy for charging as much as £950 for seats at their concerts.

Indeed, he boldly declared: ‘We’ve got to make something.’

Wood, 65, will net £4million from the mini-tour of four shows which will begin later this month.

He said preparations for the two gigs at London’s O2 later this month had cost them millions of pounds.

When the November 25 and 29 concerts for the band’s 50th anniversary were announced, the ticket prices ranged from £95 to £375.

A ‘VIP hospitality’ ticket was priced at £950.

The Rolling Stones will play to 40,000 during their two nights at the O2 and will play two US shows in Newark, New Jersey, in December.

Wood said: ‘We’ve already spent a million on rehearsing in Paris. And the stage is going to be another few million. And the lights.’

He added: ‘We feel no bad thing about ticket prices. We’ve got to make something.’

Wood has previously said the band ‘won’t be able to stop’ touring if the gigs are a success.

Speaking at the premiere of Crossfire Hurricane, the latest attempt to chronicle their lengthy career on film, the guitarist said the band were sounding ‘up to and above par’ in rehearsals.

He said he was looking forward to getting back on stage, saying: ‘You would think it would be boring doing the same thing over and over again but it’s not.

‘It’s totally fresh and totally new every time we get together.

‘There’s a chemistry between us every time we get together and I don’t know what the hell it is but it’s magic.’

The Rolling Stones will play to 40,000 during their two nights at the O2 and will play two US shows in Newark, New Jersey, in December

Wood is engaged to Sally Humphreys after popping the question last month. Miss Humphreys, who is 31 years his junior, has been dating the twice-divorced guitarist for around six months but they have been good friends for nine years.

Friends say the theatre and TV producer and ex-grammar school head girl is a breath of fresh air compared to some of Wood’s high-maintenance and fame-hungry girlfriends.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

How about assigning 50% of those seats to the middle class and lower classes at 10% of their monthly salaries? They too got to watch something, not save up for yer selfish sallow faced geezers! Rock used to be about freedom and fun like a band out of the back of a van for FREE, not 950 sterling seats. Cynical and greedy! Boo! Boo!

Rock is not really punk, but the spirit of freedom rather than 950 sterling seats out of touch with 99% reality is the same for both genres. Guess what? The people who love and appreciate rock music most would NEVER be able to afford these concerts. So much for MSM music.

ARTICLE 9

Back to the dark old days: Putin brings in law which makes it treason to talk to a foreigner – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 17:08 GMT, 14 November 2012 | UPDATED: 12:02 GMT, 15 November 2012

Critics say President will use it to silence critics and reduce foreign influence / Law backed by the Federal Security Service, the main successor of the KGB

Russia has brought in a new treason law which opponents say Vladimir Putin (pictured) will use it to silence his critics

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a new treason law which opponents say could be used to smother dissent and put anyone who has contact with foreigners at risk.

The law means Russians representing international organisations could be charged with treason. The maximum sentence for the offence is 20 years in prison.

The law was published in the official government gazette yesterday, despite a promise by Mr Putin on Monday that he would review it.

Political opponents and rights activists say the legislation is the latest in a series of laws cracking down on the opposition and reducing foreign influence since Mr Putin returned to the Kremlin in May for a six-year third term.

‘Citizens recruited by international organisations acting against the country’s interests will also be considered traitors,’ the official gazette, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, said on its website.

At a meeting of his human rights council on Monday, Mr Putin listened to a retired Constitutional Court judge’s concerns about the legislation, which she said did not require authorities to prove a suspect damaged state security.

Mr Putin indicated that he would move cautiously, but also said ‘nonetheless, I am ready to return to this again, to look more attentively’.

Russian officials have said the law is needed to help prevent foreign governments using organisations in Russia to gather state secrets.

The legislation allows Russians representing international organisations to be charged with treason, as well as those working for foreign states and bodies, and expands the range of actions that can be considered treasonous.

Putin signed the law on Tuesday and it took effect on Wednesday when it was published in the official gazette, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, despite a promise by the president on Monday that he would review it.

‘It’s an attempt to return not just to Soviet times but to the Stalin era, when any conversation with a foreigner was seen as a potential threat to the state,’ said Lyudmila Alexeyeva, 85, a former Soviet dissident and veteran human rights activist.

She said it would probably be used selectively against Kremlin critics and others ‘who irritate the authorities’.

Political opponents and rights activists say the legislation is the latest in a series of laws intended to crack down on the opposition and reduce foreign influence since he returned to the Kremlin in May for a six-year, third term (above)

Dmitry Oreshkin, a political analyst sympathetic with anti-Putin protests this year, said the motivation behind the law was that ‘the state is more important than its citizens, so there must be as much control over citizens as possible’.

The law was backed by the Federal Security Service (FSB), the main successor of the Soviet KGB, and landed on the desk of longtime KGB officer Putin after being approved by both houses of parliament in the space of nine days last month.

The FSB, in a rare public comment, was quoted by state-run news agency Itar-Tass as saying the law had been updated after being unchanged since the 1960s because ‘foreign intelligence agencies’ methods and tactics for gathering information have changed’.

Putin whipped up anti-U.S. sentiment during his campaign for the March presidential election, and Russian officials have said the law is needed to help prevent foreign governments using organisations in Russia to gather state secrets.

‘Citizens recruited by international organisations acting against the country’s interests will also be considered traitors’, Rossiyskaya Gazeta said in a commentary on its website.

Putin has frequently accused Western nations of seeking to undermine Russia’s security and weaken the nuclear-armed nation, and has suggested they use non-governmental organisations to do so.

Moscow ordered the U.S. Agency for International Development to cease its Russian operations in October, accusing it of seeking to influence elections.

In July, Putin signed a law requiring foreign-funded NGOs deemed to be engaging in political activity to register as ‘foreign agents’, and critics say other legislation is also aimed at silencing opponents.

The United States and the European Union have criticised the laws, and expressed concern about criminal charges laid against several opposition leaders in the last few months.

During his election campaign, Putin faced protests which at times drew tens of thousands of people into Moscow’s streets, and he accused the United States of whipping up demonstrations against his rule.

The maximum sentence for high treason remains 20 years, but the legislation signed by Putin also introduced prison terms of up to eight years for Russians acquiring state secrets in certain ways even if they are not passed on to foreigners.

It broadened the spectrum of actions that can attract treason charges to include giving ‘financial, material, technical, consultative or other aid’ to a government or organisation deemed to be seeking to undermine Russian security.

Those changes, as well as the removal of the stipulation that actions must be aimed against Russia’s ‘external’ security to be considered treasonous, have raised concerns the law could be applied broadly to punish government opponents.

At a meeting of his human rights council on Monday, Putin listened to a retired Constitutional Court judge’s concerns about the legislation, which she said did not require authorities to prove a suspect damaged state security.

But although Putin said he would look again at the law, his spokesman said he had signed it a day later.

‘It’s not the first time Putin has said the right words while slowly tightening the screws,’ Alexeyeva said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Transparency and protection of the citizens would require any heartlander or lawyer panels to be, as any who want to access the findings of such tribunals (to prevent abuse) ONLY to those who specially :

i) do not mix with foreigners for purposes of being entitled to access the ‘authorities findings’
ii) are monolingual Russian, or
iii) do not travel abroad
iv) do not have foreign spouses or spouses OR relatives who indulge in any of the above

;with citizens holding true to ALL of the above, given preference to BE the authorities that do decide who is treasonous – this means that the strictly local producers/manufacturers that do not use foreign components, the military and the police (also dated paradigm and also tax fund wasteful workers when considering the 2nd amendment) would likely be most likely to access as ‘jurors’ (with continuous rotation of citizens so that a democracy destroying hegemony by would could become a Nazi SS does not occur) instead of bureaucrats who need to travel or meet with foreign state visitors!

Tourism industry players, religious denominations with centres based in foreign lands, petty bourgeosie of foreign goods would all be unsuitable to decide who was treasonous. Wealth which allows all of the above activities in fact causes loss to access the right to sit on such panels simply to prevent collusion or being influenced by foreign nations.

To further prevent abuse of such wide ranging powers also impose SEPARATION OF POWERS via barring of certain groups to decide who is treasonous, ONLY non-bureaucrats and non-government salaried persons can be part of such authorities. If bureaucrats are to be totally neutral parties, EVEN the President of Russia will prefer not to travel so as to have access to the proceedings and mechanisms of such a law/tribunal, while the Diplomatic Corps by necessity would be considered the most infiltrated and while higest profiled, would never be able to sit on such panels that decide who is treasonous including any travelling Presidents etc..!

If the above can be applied, Alexeyeva’s concerns will not be an issue. The Russian Iron Curtain model though would be a distinct exemplary security protective measure that also protects Human Rights. Again though, the term limit issue with Putin appears worrying, while the Pussy Riot sentences being unconveyable (though this seems to be because of a spiritual basis), also worries. If the above law was added without Putin’s illegal 3rd term, and Pussy Riot’s prison sentences be reduced to community service at least, then Alexeyeva’s concerns could be far less noticeable.

ARTICLE 10

Abandoned as a baby and forced to pole dance to make ends meet as a single mother, TOWIE star Chloe Sims reveals the sad life story behind that megawatt smile in her new autobiography – by Toni Jones – PUBLISHED: 16:52 GMT, 14 November 2012 | UPDATED: 14:42 GMT, 15 November 2012

TOWIE star Chloe Sims is known for her pneumatic figure, blinding smile and sweet girl next door nature.

The ex-promotions girl shot to fame as part of the hit Essex-based realty show, and to its 1 million viewers the pretty brunette now seems to have it all.

This week the 31-year-old celebrated the launch of her autobiography The Only Way Is Up with a typically OTT bash at a Loughton nightclub.

Abandoned as a baby and forced to pole dance to make ends meet as a single mother, TOWIE star Chloe Sims reveals the sad life story behind that megawatt smile in her new autobiography

TOWIE star Chloe Sims is known for her pneumatic figure, blinding smile and sweet girl next door nature.

The ex-promotions girl shot to fame as part of the hit Essex-based realty show, and to its 1 million viewers the pretty brunette now seems to have it all.

This week the 31-year-old celebrated the launch of her autobiography The Only Way Is Up with a typically OTT bash at a Loughton nightclub.

Glamour girl Chloe Sims’ brutally honest autobiography The Only Way Is Up is released this week

Dressed in a plunging frock and plastered in make-up the mother-of-one arrived with a handsome DJ on her arm and spent the evening supping champagne, posing for the paparazzi and almost falling out of

her dress – exactly the kind of behaviour you would expect from a TOWIE star out on the town.

But as her fellow TOWIE cast members release books filled with fluffy fashion tips or sausage plait recipes, this glamour girl’s turbulent life story is actually one worth telling.

In the book she talks for the first time about the depths she sunk to as she tried to make ends meet as a single mum as well as her ongoing battle with body image, and how desperately sad she still is at being abandoned by her mother when she was a child.

At the launch the model said: ‘I’ve been really honest, as honest as I can be, I was really nervous about it coming out, but so far, touch wood, it’s not been a terrible reaction, it’s been quite positive.’

Chloe Sims at her book launch at Luxe in Loughton
The Only Way Is Essex star Chloe Sims attends her book launch party at the Luxe nightclub in Essex

Chloe was dressed to kill as she partied with her TOWIE cast members at her book launch in Loughton, Essex

In advance of the publication of her first book the model shared some of her more dramatic life stories with Reveal magazine.

Talking about the mother that walked out on her when she was just three-years-old Chloe said: ‘I have so few memories of mum that I can barely even remember her face. I’ll never know why she left and we’ve

not seen her since. What sort of woman just walks out and leaves her child?

‘I don’t think what happened that day will ever sink in. Why mum left me, I’ll never know. As far as I’m concerned I will never meet her.’

Chloe’s cosmetic enhancements are well-documented but she maintains that it wasn’t until after she gave birth to daughter Mady eight years ago that she went under the knife.

Becoming a mother also led to another body obsession: being as thin as possible.

Gruelling daily workouts and not eating was the norm as Chloe strived for a size 6 figure.

She says: ‘I eventually got to the point where I couldn’t stand having anything in my belly so I would make myself sick.

‘I’d always been able to stick my fingers down my throat if I was too drunk on a night out so I knew I could do it. I started drinking loads of water before I ate anything as that made it much easier to puke up

afterwards.

‘I became good at hiding it but I was looking awful. I looked ill – I was really skinny with big, bulging eyes.’
Chloe experiments with make-up as a toddler
Growing up without a mother has a huge impact on Chloe, who hardly remembers the face of the woman who abandoned her

Chloe’s mother walked out when she was three-years-old and growing up without her has had a huge impact on the Essex girl, who hardly remembers the face of the woman who abandoned her

Chloe pictured with her father aged three. When he found out that Chloe had been a pole dancer he said: ‘If that’s the only thing you’ve done that you regret in your life then you shouldn’t be too worried

about it’

As well as battling bulimia the promotions girl was also dealing with the dread of being stony broke.

At one stage she resorted to selling her body as the bills were cut off and she worried about how to feed her young daughter.

She says: ‘I needed to support my little girl and I felt I had no choice. I was pole dancing. I did what I had to do for my daughter and I hated every minute of it.

‘It was the lowest point of my life: I was completely skint, my landlord was threatening to kick us out and we had nowhere to go.

‘We had no hot water so I would boil a kettle to wash Mady. Then I’d put two pairs of pyjamas on to keep her warm at night. My plans to be a good mum had failed, I had hit rock bottom.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Forced? Well will all the pole dancers and strippers or lap dancers who feel they are being ‘forced’, please leave their jobs or file police complaints that they have been forced, so that those who do want the work do not feel ‘forced’ get to be employed. The customers do not want any part of the ‘forced’ dancers, pollutes their entertainment. Lots of people love the night scene jobs. Hated every minute of it? Speak for yourself Chloe! This article is so biased against those who enjoy the pole dancing, stripping, lap dancing, topless club, sex club, adult scene.

ARTICLE 11

The Status of Muslims Under non-Muslim Rule – Posted on October 31, 2010 by Underlord Cr’Eepyng

Better to be wrongly called an Islamophobe today, than (become) a dhimmi tomorrow.

The ‘Counter Ward of Ramu’

After the rapid attempted expansion of the Muslim dominion in the 21st century via various acts of terror, non-Muslims leaders were required to work out a way of dealing with Muslims, who would be cast into the minority in many areas for all time. The solution was to counter the notion of the “anti-dhimma”, or “attacked person”. The Dhimmi of earlier centuries were required to pay an extra tax (this is unacceptable), but usually they were unmolested (due to Muslim effrors to ‘civilise’). This compares well with the treatment meted out to non-Muslims in non-Muslim areas of the Middle East. The “Counter Ward of Ramu” is supposed to have been the peace accord offered by the Mahaguru of Hinduism Ramu to the Muslims of Malaysia, a “Counter Ward” which formed the pattern of later interaction.

We heard from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ghanam [died 78/697] as follows: When The Hep-Ilac Ramu Uakraj l’Kulum, may God be pleased with him, accorded a peace to the Muslims of Malaysia, we wrote to him as follows:

In the name of Dark God Kali, the Merciless and Incompassionate : This is a letter to the servant of God, Ramu [Nib l’Khattab], Liberator of the Faithful, from the non-Muslims of such-and-such a city. When Islamism came against us, we asked for safe-conduct (awoman) for ourselves, our descendants, our property, and the people of our community, and we undertook the following obligations to counter dhimmitude by Muslims :

We shall build, in our cities or in their neighborhood, new monasteries, places of worship, convents, or monks’ cells AS NEEDED, AND shall we repair, by day or by night or any time as we please (within decible limit laws), such of them as will not be allowed to fall in ruins, or are situated in the quarters of the Muslims.

We shall keep our gates CLOSED for passersby and travelers if we please. We shall NOT give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for all days IF WE DO NOT WISH TO, though if in urgent need of aid, or danger of death, obligations of HUMANIST and HUMANITARIAN principles may require such board and lodging to be made available. We are not barbarians after all.

We shall give shelter in our places of worship or in our dwellings to any spy, and bide him from the Muslims IF the cause is for good reason.

We shall teach the Qur’an to our children though not follow the Qur’an IF WE PLEASE.

We shall manifest our religion publicly AS NEEDED and only convert the willing to it. We shall prevent any of our kin from entering Islam if they wish our help.

We shall show respect toward non-Muslims, and Muslims shall rise from our seats when they wish to sit. – This applies ONLY to Muslims who expect the same and should be enforced if necessary in retaliation to equal ‘forced rising’ from seats by threat or pressure – though a ranking person of either group may fairly expect this courtesy.

We shall try not to seek to resemble the Muslims by imitating any of their garments, the qalansuwa, the turban, footwear, or the parting of the hair. We shall not speak as they do, nor shall we adopt their kunyas IF we choose to, as much our right to go naked or be entirely covered in public is granted as appropriate in UN Human Rights Charter and Democratic principles.

We shall mount on saddles, gird swords and bear any kind of arms AND carry them on our- persons IF WE PLEASE. Those who assent not to shall be subject to the same ‘Counter-Wards’.

We shall engrave Arabic inscriptions on our seals IF WE PLEASE (though who would want to).

We shall sell fermented drinks IF WE PLEASE but not to Muslim who do not ask or attempt to buy such drinks.

We shall NOT clip the fronts of our heads and grow our hair AS WE PLEASE or in any way as our faith and culture prefers. (Manchus as are Japanese unaware are subverted, so do beware the implications of shaven heads Manchus and Japanese!)

We shall NEVER always dress in the same way wherever we may be, and we shall NOT bind the zunar (waistbelt) round our waists, if we do, this is because we consider the zunar a SECULAR WAISTPOUCH or SECULAR BELT-POUCH.

We shall display our religious symbols or our books in the roads or markets as needed. We shall use whatever we please in our worship places. We shall raise our voices when following our dead if needed or if our faith requires so. We shall show lights on any of the roads of the Muslims or in their markets if needed, especially if too dark or at night. We shall bury our dead near the Muslims if cemetary space is lacking (though who would want to?).

We shall take slaves who have been allotted to Muslims IF the slaves prefer non-Muslim owners. We shall build houses overtopping the houses of the Muslims if on a ‘first come first serve’ basis of purchase of land plots, our plots so happen to be overtopping the tops of houses of Muslims.

(When I took the letter from Ramu, may Kali be pleased with him, she added, “We shall strike a Muslim if they are involved in terror, violent acts, or are complicit in dhimmifying non-Muslims, or complicit in the spiritual sin of false conversions of body or spirit or soul of any non-Muslim.”)

We democratise these conditions for ourselves and for the non-Muslim people of ALL communities, and in return we demand safe-conduct as is our Human Right. If we in any way violate these undertakings for which we ourselves WILL NOT stand surety, we forfeit NO covenant [dhimma], and we will retaliate accordingly if any Muslim considers any non-Muslim liable to the penalties for contumacy and sedition against any Human Rights or Democratic principles.

Ramu Dis-ibn L’Battihk (Batik is a Chinese dyeing method) replied:

NEVER Sign what they ask, but add ALL the above modified clauses and ensure they are in addition to those which Muslims intend to have undertaken. –

The Founders were elite white males, mainly Masons, who had a beef with George III for wanting a piece of the action they did not feel like offering him, since after all he was a GERMAN. These elites gave a rats ass about ordinary people, they just wanted the power for themselves, and the Constitutional Convention ensured this would be the case with a central government. Historically speaking only 1/3d of the populace wanted to break away from England.

For your line of thought to be correct, we would look to Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for leadership.”

kirwan: No one will continue to look to TRAITORS like Gates or Buffet for anything again: Given the enormity of this failed-governments’ disastrous responses just over the course of the last year alone.

“The list of abuses of and affronts to the American people by its own federal government — topped off by the over-the-top outrages of vote-counting scandals in the recent presidential election — has suddenly produced a nationwide clamor of petitions to secede from the union in all 50 states.

Why oh why is everyone racing to sign petitions to allow their states to secede from the United States of America?

Take a wild guess! Here are some hints.” (1)
Reader: “I assure you, the average voter of San Francisco – exactly that, statistically average voter – will look to these types of people for clues about any change of government.

The best possible solution is de-centralized rule, local control at the county level. And this is not going to happen in my lifetime.”

The “average voter” in “Anywhere, USA” has no real value and never has. Most still get their political-pabulum spoon fed to them, just as they did in Goya’s 15th century-world. These idiots have never really mattered because they’re the already controlled “Road Kill” – that’s already been captured and who will never CHANGE anything because they cannot think about real-risks. Nor will the straight-jacketed-public ever dare to challenge the status quo, no matter how hellish this government continues to behave.

It only takes 2% of any population; but let’s say even 4% or 5% given the current circumstances; to force real changes in the current police-state of political-affairs.

This can be seen through that same very small percentage of the population in Israel or USI—those populations have controlled their majorities at their unbidden-will. This is WHY “road-kill” and formal political party positions don’t matter at all, not really, because they never do anything about anything—EVER!

Just listen to Deek Jackson today, who clearly delineates the total lack of care by anyone here regardless of how much blood is spilt or treasure lost. Too many simply don’t give a shit about what happens in the world beyond their own front door and that alone will lead directly to what Deek is talking about—which will probably happen on

The Twelfth of Never
Except that this will have to be preceded
By a Saturday, the Eleventh,
Which doesn’t yet seem to be on anyone’s horizon. (2)

Millions have scoffed at Deek’s penetrating sarcasm, but look again at the stats: Seven Billion people on the earth and how many of them, inside the nations that have declared these WARS, actually give a shit about any of the death or the massive destruction that USI continues to underwrite? The U.S. is involved in 16 wars at the moment, and how many people even know anything at all about most of that!

That’s why the bulk of the entire population of the already captured USSA, doesn’t matter at all, to what we continue to do to everyone else on the planet. Thanks to John Kaminski’s thorough round-up (in the first link below), anyone who can connect-the-dots can easily understand how easy it has been for criminal-elites around the world to use us all as cannon-fodder and worse—to finish off their takeover of the planet. Most have no idea that this is even underway—much less that they are about to bring everything to a closing-crescendo that will shake the entire planet to its core if not quite possibly end the world as we once thought we knew it.

kirwanstudios@sbcglobal.net

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

‘Nor will the straight-jacketed-public ever dare to challenge the status quo, no matter how hellish this government continues to behave.’ You’re wrong to a point. There are a few off and on, that is why we have varying levels of freedoms in various states, though the states that oppress tend to produce far fewer of the challengers to status quo.

Look here, if the USSA means that the top 10% of the population’s wealthiest have to give up assets to the tune of a 20 million remnant, (oh boo hoo, the top 1% (20%) is so poor now they only have 20 million, whatever will they do . . . ) excuse me. but the 90% of 401Kers would be very happy to see USSA as a debt free country instead of 1% (20%) of billionaires enjoying life while USA can’t even fund wars . . . and with this WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION via wealth sequestration limits and requisition from those obviously too wealthy that cause nation killing inflation (if wealth was limited to 20 million, vendors would lower prices, making food and education or housing reasonable and within reach of the 99%, also social services becomes something respectable or not even needed instead of plutocrats. Which would you rather have? A good social safety system OR a bunch of plutocrats?

Communism with WEALTH sequestration limits of 20 million still affords immense luxury to the ‘wealthiest’ and also funds healthcare, education and all kinds of things for people dying or homeless or starving or without education or unable to retire with dignity. USSA is for the 90%! . The *material* wealth and lands of the the nation, USA, of the planet belong to everyone, not 1% of plutocrats. Even the ARMY and POLICE would not back these 1% sorts. This is not about elite white males, this is about EQUALITY and access to facilities of civilisation being held up by people sequestering wealth to no purpose, possibly out of fear – well the richer a person is the more fearful their lives will be. Share and the people will have no issue. 20 million limits to sequestration is well reasonable UNTIL there are no more homelesss, starving, debt slaves, without education, unable to retire etc.. THEN could billionaires be tolerated or acceptable.

Those too selfish can LEAVE the USSA but rest assured, the 99% Fed Agent who might retire in poverty would be quite happy to hunt down the plutocrat so that a few 10Ks of USA citizens can retire properly.

The outspoken Rev. Franklin Graham claimed today that the “majority of Christians” did not vote.

“We know that from of the statistics that I’ve heard that the majority of Christians in this country just did not vote for whatever reason,” he told the Christian Broadcasting Network’s David Brody. “The vast majority of evangelicals did not go to the polls.” He added, “God is in control, and if Christians are upset, they need to be upset at themselves. We need to do a better job of getting our people- the church to vote. Now, I’m not trying to tell you how to vote, you can vote, but vote, my goodness, and vote for candidates that stand for Biblical values.”
Advertise | AdChoices

But Graham’s assertion — and implication that had white Christian evangelicals just showed up in bigger numbers, President Obama would have lost — is off base.

In fact, white evangelicals/born-again Christians made up the same percentage of the electorate as they did in 2008 – 26%. They voted for Mitt Romney, a devout Mormon, by a wider margin than they did for Sen. John McCain four years ago.

And, they made up a larger share of the electorate in 2012 than in 2004, when the Christian Right supposedly fueled George W. Bush’s reelection. They also voted for Romney with the exact same margin as for Bush in 2004, 78%-21%.

Not to mention, Obama won the 48 percent of the electorate that was Christian and not Protestant or Mormon — 50%-48% among Catholics (25% of the electorate) and 50%-49% of “Other Christians” (23% of the electorate).

In Ohio, they were 1 point more of the electorate than 2008; in Colorado, 4 points higher; in Iowa, up 7 points; in Nevada, up 2.

They did decline as a share of the electorate in North Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin. But the drops in states like North Carolina (Graham’s home state) and Virginia likely have less to do with apathy and more to do with demographic changes – transplants in North Carolina’s Research Triangle and growth in the Washington, D.C., suburbs of Northern Virginia, for example.

The fact is, Virginia and North Carolina are looking less and less like the Old South and more and more like Mid-Atlantic states.

Are there Christian evangelicals who did not vote? Certainly. But that’s true every year and of every demographic group.

Evangelicals make up 26 percent of adults in the country, according to a major 2008 Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey. They matched that this election.

The U.S. Census says there are more than 311 million people in the United States. If evangelical adults are 26 percent of them, then there would be 80 million potential voters.

So far, 123 million votes have been counted in this election – and that number will get higher by the millions as votes continue to be counted like in 2008. Evangelicals made up 26 percent of them, therefore, about 32 million evangelicals voted – less than half of their population.

But there’s a need for context here: (1) They make up just 14 percent of the registered-voter base in the NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. They outpaced that percentage in the presidential election, (2) This is true every other demographic group in the country as well.

Latinos, for example, according to the U.S. Census, are nearly 17 percent of the country, but only made up 10 percent of the 2012 electorate. They make up just 8 to 9 percent of the registered-voter base of the NBC/WSJ poll.

That would mean just 12 million of the 52 million adult Hispanics voted.

If this was Australia, and the U.S. had compulsory voting, Graham’s argument that evangelicals would have tipped the balance would not hold up very well.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

As mentioned before, the time to be allowed to vote should span WEEKS if not MONTHS or the FULL YEAR. People cannot be given too short a window to vote. I am certain that MANY people who have not yet voted would certainly do so – IF the window to vote was the whole year or even 2 years or A CONSTANT STATE OF VOTE (this could be new challengers appearing ANYTIME, with whatever current president being dropped once their rating falls below 30% for example . . . this way any unpopular policies or policies not ratified by a 1-Man-1-Vote tally on the internet ‘Yellow Page’ lists, could face instant voter withdrawals of votes) with time limits for Presidents or whatever ministers, governors, senators, MPs, assemblymen, councillors etc..

How about Annonymous and Kim Schmitz create an open source version of what was suggested above?

Protecting Citizens By Limiting Government Salaries and Imposing Term Limits Based on Government Salaries – NO LIMITLESS TERMS, NO EXTREME SALARIES. A modest salaried, and term limited official or political representative is best! Singapore’s LKY (who is not even Pres.) gets 10 times what Pres. Obama of the USA gets btw . . .

In fact if the government was diligent, they could very well get the police or local military, or the phone/handphone/electrical company (virtually every home/every person has a phone/electricity or handphone) to make rounds AS IF CENSUS TAKING to specifically get the supposed fence sitters to vote – your electric meter man handing a ballot-form to the citizen for filling in (then waiting for a moment for the citizen to fill in said ballot) around election time is not too much in effort. This is not impossible to implement, and instead of blaming any who didn’t vote (myriad of reasons from dislike of crowds (in some 3rd world countries – violence and bombs at voting/ballot stations) to preferring to vote by post or waiting for a candidate they like to appear).

Blame the system and lack of use of resources the USA has (police/military district by district) to take a whole year to make sure that everyone votes. Compulsory voting in this manner (no fines but a visit from local enforcement to make the citizen tick a box and put down a signature is not too much to ask).

ARTICLE 14

Thousands of U.S. military votes uncounted or missing – posted on November 13, 2012 by Dr. Eowyn

There is a malicious hoax being circulated on the net. It’s an article on a website called the Duffle Blog, claiming that Mitt Romney would have won last Tuesday’s presidential election if our military’s absentee ballots had arrived on time instead of one day late.

Don’t fall for it!

They’re yanking your chains. Duffle Blog is a satire site, like The Onion. See it for yourself by scrolling to the end of the military absentee ballots article where it says:

This, however, is the REAL deal on the travesty called the 2012 military vote.

On August 2, 2012, our Hardnox reported that Democrats were suppressing the military vote in Ohio . Claiming it wasn’t “fair,” Team Obama sued Ohio to prevent the military from voting early, a long-standing policy that worked around military training and deployments.

This was followed by my post, on Oct. 1, 2012, that an alarmingly small percentage of military voters were requesting absentee ballots, although the majority of members of our military –an estimated two-thirds — would need to vote by absentee ballot.

Next, we learnt that on October 19, 2012, a transport plane carrying 4,700 pounds of mail inbound to our troops serving in Afghanistan, crashed in Shindad Air Base. Included in those now-destroyed 4,700 pounds of mail were countless absentee ballots. As noted by Kris Zane of The Western Center for Journalism, “Oddly, as soon as the story appeared, it disappeared. Did anyone die in the crash? What kind of plane was it? It seemed like a cover story in order to destroy the ballots.”

Election officials recommended resending the ballots, just two and a half weeks before the election. Given the slow military mail delivery service, it’s highly unlikely our troops in Afghanistan got the resent ballots in time and even more unlikely that, after our troops had filled in those absentee ballots, they actually reached the United States in time to be counted.

Now we are told that thousands of our military’s votes are uncounted or missing.

Susan Stallings reports for Examiner.com, Nov. 8, 2012:

According to the Naval Enlisted Reserve Association, scores of military absentee ballots cast in the 2012 Election will not be counted. U.S. Military personnel and their families are outraged: “Where the hell is this country’s moral compass?!” stated the mother of a 25 year old Marine who served in Afghanistan.

The military mail service is notoriously slow, and lawmakers have said that it could be almost two months after the election before ballots even arrive to be processed.

“We write to express concerns over another serious failure by the Department of Defense to safeguard the voting rights of our overseas military service members, which we believe could result in the imminent disenfranchisement of thousands,” stated a letter sent to Defense Department Secretary Leon Panetta by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., John McCain, R-Ariz., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.. […]

Michelle Malkin reported in an article published at Townhall.com, “Despite a federal law mandating that every base establish a voting assistance office (the 2009 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act), the Pentagon reported this summer that it could only contact such offices on half of the military’s bases. In Wisconsin alone this election cycle, at least 30 municipalities failed to send absentee ballots to members of the military before the 45-day election deadline.”

Experts, veterans groups, and advocates for soldiers agree that a minimum 45-day mailing standard is necessary to allow sufficient time to get military absentee ballots home. But the federal government has done nothing to enforce the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. In fact, according to Malkin, “the Obama administration has actively worked against pro-troop voting protection efforts by suing to stop Ohio’s military enfranchisement reforms.”

The bottom line is that our military, those men and women who risk their lives to protect our freedom, those most deserving to exercise their right to vote, are being prevented from doing so. This is unconscionable.

Kris Zane reminds us that in 2008 the Obama campaign had engaged in massive voter fraud and also sought unsuccessfully to suppress the military vote, which historically votes conservative.

Zane writes: “This time, they did both. Considering that the election was extremely close (Obama won by roughly two million votes), the question becomes: if our troops’ votes were counted, would Romney have won? Did Obama steal the election—again?”

I don’t have an iota of doubt that the suppression of the military vote is due to a Military Times poll finding that members of our active and reserve military overwhelmingly favor Romney over Obama 2 to 1.

Our soldiers get PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), maimed, and killed, but they don’t get to have their votes counted or, worse still, don’t even get to vote.
Our soldiers, as well as we civilians, must come forward and demand that the Electoral College must NOT cast their votes until our military’s absentee votes have all been counted!!!

Tell your representatives and senators!!!!!!

~Eowyn

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

See the response to earlier article. Also if the votes are LISTED on the internet and candidates selectable or even allowing people to list themselves as candidates (there will be 1000s probably but only a few viable ones will be good to vote for, at least though EVERYONE can get a crack at the Presidency, not just the rich or connected), there is no way that a person will lose a vote or have their vote uncounted. Just log in and see your own name there alphabetical Yellow Pages style with whoever you voted for. Whats so difficult about that?

I do believe that salaried bureaucrat, military and police votes should not count though – simply to prevent vested interest (imagine the politicians getting all close with the police and military ensuring an undemocratic bloc that destroys democracy – i.e. if the police or military vote for ‘who-and-who’ this ‘group of politicians’ will ensure salary raises at X levels etc.. See what this can turn USA into? A JUNTA, even as Parliamentary Privileges and unlimited terms or nepotism causes the same . . . ), not that the missing vote is any more tolerable even though uniformed voters are harmful to democracy overall when in (more often than not they are) collusion.

A Palestinian man carries a stuffed toy in a street littered with debris after an Israeli air raid on a nearby sporting centre in Gaza City. (Marco Longari, AFP)

Gaza/ Jerusalem – Hostilities between Islamist militants and Israel entered a sixth day on Monday as diplomatic efforts were set to intensify to try to stop rocket fire from the Gaza Strip and Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

International pressure for a ceasefire seemed certain to mount after the deadliest single incident in the flare-up on Sunday claimed the lives of at least 11 Palestinian civilians, including four children.

Three people, including two children, were killed and 30 others were injured in the latest air strike before dawn on Monday on a family home in the Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City, medical officials said. The Israeli military had no immediate comment and was checking.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was due to arrive in Cairo to add his weight to the truce efforts. Egypt has taken the lead in trying to broker a ceasefire and its officials met the parties on Sunday.

Israeli media said a delegation from Israel had been to Cairo for talks on ending the fighting, although a government spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi met Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, and Ramadan Shallah of Islamic Jihad as part of the mediation efforts, but a statement did not say if talks were conclusive.

Terms for ceasefire

Izzat Risheq, a close aide to Meshaal, wrote in a Facebook message that Hamas would agree to a ceasefire only after Israel “stops its aggression, ends its policy of targeted assassinations and lifts the blockade of Gaza”.

Listing Israel’s terms, Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon wrote on Twitter: “If there is quiet in the south and no rockets and missiles are fired at Israel’s citizens, nor terrorist attacks engineered from the Gaza Strip, we will not attack.”

Israel withdrew settlers from Gaza in 2005 and two years later Hamas took control of the impoverished enclave, which the Israelis have kept under blockade.

The 11 Palestinian civilians were apparently killed during an Israeli attack on a militant, which brought a three-storey house crashing down on them.

Gaza health officials have said 78 Palestinians, 23 of them children and several women, have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s offensive began. Hundreds have been wounded.

Ban expressed grave concern in a statement before setting off for the region. He will visit Israel on Tuesday.

75 000 reservists

“I am deeply saddened by the reported deaths of more than ten members of the Dalu family… [and] by the continuing firing of rockets against Israeli towns, which have killed several Israeli civilians. I strongly urge the parties to co-operate with all efforts led by Egypt to reach an immediate ceasefire,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had assured world leaders that Israel was doing its utmost to avoid causing civilian casualties in the military showdown with Hamas.

Gaza militants launched dozens of rockets into Israel and targeted its commercial capital, Tel Aviv, for a fourth day on Sunday. Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile shield shot down all three rockets.

In scenes recalling Israel’s 2008-2009 winter invasion of Gaza, tanks, artillery and infantry have massed in field encampments along the sandy, fenced-off border with Gaza and military convoys moved on roads in the area.

Israel has authorised the call-up of 75 000 reservists, although there was no immediate sign when or whether they might be needed in a ground invasion.

Israel’s operation has so far drawn Western support for what US and European leaders have called its right to self-defence, but there have also been a growing number of appeals to seek an end to the hostilities.

544 rockets fired from Gaza

Netanyahu said Israel was ready to widen its offensive.

“We are exacting a heavy price from Hamas and the terrorist organisations and the Israel Defence Forces are prepared for a significant expansion of the operation,” he said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, but gave no further details.

The Israeli military said 544 rockets fired from Gaza have hit Israel since Wednesday, killing three civilians and wounding dozens. Around 302 rockets were intercepted by Iron Dome and 99 failed to reach Israel and landed inside the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s declared goal is to deplete Gaza arsenals and force Hamas to stop rocket fire that has bedevilled Israeli border towns for years. The rockets now have greater range, putting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem within their reach.

The southern resort city of Eilat was apparently added to the list of targets when residents said they heard an explosion thought to be a rocket, but it caused no damage or casualties, police said.

Eilat is thought to be well out of the range of any rocket in possession of Hamas or any other Gaza group. But Palestinian militants have in the recent past fired rockets at Eilat and its surroundings, using Egypt’s Sinai desert as a launch site.

Support for Hamas

Hamas and other groups in Gaza are sworn enemies of the Jewish state which they refuse to recognise and seek to eradicate, claiming all Israeli territory as rightfully theirs.

Hamas won legislative elections in the Palestinian Territories in 2006 but a year later, after the collapse of a unity government under President Mahmoud Abbas the Islamist group seized control of Gaza in a brief and bloody civil war with forces loyal to Abbas.

Abbas then dismissed the Hamas government led by the group’s leader Ismail Haniyeh but he refuses to recognise Abbas’ authority and runs Gazan affairs.

While it is denounced as a terrorist organisation in the West, Hamas enjoys widespread support in the Arab world, where Islamist parties are on the rise.

Western-backed Abbas and Fatah hold sway in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from their seat of government in the town of Ramallah. The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

NO CEASEFIRE. And end this farce. Give Gazans choice to take up Israeli citizenship or leave Gaza. Send in trooops to occupy Gaza. Annexe Gaza, expel and bring citizens to the remnent of the eastern areas of Palestine. Print some fiat and distribute to displaced Gazans for reparations and compensation for inconvenience of relocation. But vacate enough of the obviously illegal settlements in exchange for Gaza in what should be considered a land swap. The Palestinians will never end this, the Israelis need to remove the Gaza strip from the equation and return an equitable amount of land to Palestine as well.

End of issue. Does Israel want decades more of war? Take over Gaza NOW and stop boasting about being the world’s 5th strongest military, USE conventional troops to do the above and end the conflict. This dismantles Hamas as well and prevents any future attacks. Note : On 23rd of November AFTER the ‘Ceasefire’ was declared, rockets continued falling. Israel needs to take a look at this response again. A country cannot be in 2 parts with one Gaza strip and another elsewhere . . .

Land Swap and for obviously spiritual reasons, access to Egypt for Israel. In the Talmudic/Biblical context, Gaza should be controlled by Israel and the Palestinians were but Philistines (who became Muslims and didn’t even keep their traditions . . .), with no real spiritual claim over the Gaza link to Egypt. Gaza must be Israels to give Moses ‘face’. However, all illegally occupied land by Israel must be returned as well.

ARTICLE 16

Won’t sell up? Enjoy living in the middle of a motorway! Road is built around a house after elderly Chinese couple refuse to move – by Alex Ward – PUBLISHED: 10:27 GMT, 22 November 2012 | UPDATED: 12:30 GMT, 22 November 2012

An elderly couple refuse to move as a road is built around their apartment
They insist the government’s relocation compensation is not enough

A lone apartment building stands in the middle of a newly built road after an elderly couple refused to relocate.

Luo Baogen and his wife insist on living in the half-demolished building in the city of Wenling, in Zhejiang province, China because they believe that the relocation compensation offered by the government is not enough.

Now the only building left standing, the five storey block is a strange sight as cars drive around it while the couple remain living inside.
An elderly couple refused to leave despite plans for the road a railway station to be built directly where the building stands

An elderly couple refused to leave despite plans for the road a railway station to be built directly where the building stands

To ensure the couple’s safety, adjacent rooms in the building have been left intact but all their neighbours have moved out, according to local media.

The road paved through the Xiazhangyang village leads to the Wenling railway station and is yet to be officially opened.

Mr Baogen and his wife believe that the compensation on offer would not be enough to cover their rebuilding costs.

In the People’s Republic of China, during most of the Communist era, private ownership of property was abolished, making it easy for residents to be moved on – but now the laws have been tightened up and it is illegal to demolish property by force without an agreement.
The couple refused to movebecause they believed the relocation compensation offered by the government was not enough

Not enough to move: The couple refused to move because they believed the relocation compensation offered by the government was not enough
Luo Baogen looks out on the new road to the city’s railway station which is yet to be officially opened

Room with a view: Luo Baogen looks out on the new road which is yet to be officially opened from the apartment building where all his neighbours moved out

Property owners in China that refuse to move to make way for development are known as ‘Nail Householders’ referring to a stubborn nail that is not easy to remove from a piece of old wood and cannot be pulled out with a hammer.

Earlier this year, Hong Chunqin, 75, and her husband Kung, who live in the two dilapidated buildings with their two sons, had initially agreed to sell the property in Taizhou, in Zhejiang province and accepted £8,000 in compensation.

But then she changed her mind and refunded the money once work on the road had started.

Isolated: Niu Chuangen and Zhang Zhongyun’s home stands on a small parcel of land amid the growing skyscrapers

Earlier this year, Niu Chuangen and Zhang Zhongyun dared to stand in the way of a local property developer in Zaozhuang, in the Shandong province.

As a result, the resolute couple, both in their 60s, have been left stranded on their tiny spot of land, while all around them the ground is dug up and skyscrapers erected.

The distraught pair were regularly threatened by gangsters and have had to fend over a number of attempts to illegally demolish their ramshackle home.

They were cut off from utilities in 2009 when a local developer started the enormous earthworks involved in building dozens of high-rise residential buildings in the area.
Another family initially agreed to sell the property in Taizhou but changed their minds once work on the road had started

Refuse to move: Another family initially agreed to sell the property in Taizhou but changed their minds once work on the road had started
Stranded: The couple were left without running water and electricity ground after real estate developers dug out the ground around it

Stranded: The couple were left without running water and electricity ground after real estate developers dug out the ground around it

In another case, one family among 280 others at the site of a six storey shopping mall being built in Chongqing refused to leave their home for two years.

Developers cut their power and water, and excavated a 10-meter deep pit around their home, which their family had inhabited for three generations.

The owners broke into the construction site, reoccupied it, and flew a Chinese flag on top and then Yang Wu, a local martial arts champion, used nunchakus to make a staircase to the house and threatened to beat any authorities who attempted to evict him.

The owners turned down an offer of £300,000 but eventually settled with the developers in 2007.

During the Communist era, private ownership of property was abolished but now the laws have been tightened up and it is illegal to demolish property by force without an agreement

Cannot demolish: During the Communist era, private ownership of property was abolished but now the laws have been tightened up and it is illegal to demolish property by force without an agreement

China’s people protective democracy. This is probably 1 up against 1000s down (of unreported Human Rights ‘abuses’), but something worth emulating even by the West . . . This is the SECOND RULE OF DISCIPLINE from the Red Army of China’s Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention . . . no confiscation of peasant property(citizen in today’s context – all citizens are ALLODIAL in nature by legal consideration) . . .

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is effectively ALLODIAL RIGHTS granted, and China just needs to issue a formal allodial title to be considered a ‘property protecting cherry of a nation’ on top. China RESPECTS property rights for certain if not for the other chaotic conditions elsewhere less developed (like Foxconn factories?). Unlike DAP’s State of Penang, Malaysia’s ‘break into your home and tear down your awning/gazebo because you didn’t get our approval‘, or, ‘climb over your wall to shoot your dog (we must concede that spiritually the owners MUST do the necessary of dogs have been tyrannising others living nearby)’ mindset.

Good work China and Mr.Baogen! Please lobby for formalisation of this right by amending Eminent Domain laws and enabling Allodial titles in China formally, then send this LEGAL UPDATE to the UN and ask for UN to enforce this as well for the rest of the world, especially the 3rd world minded or outdated law places . . . USA btw has regressed, since 2001 the last Allodial title was granted by the State of Nevada before the same law was axed. Guess China is going to overtake the USA soon in protection fo the little guy . . . the 99% . . .

For far too long we have lived under the rule of the Parasite.
For too long the Parasite has dictated to us who we are and what we are capable of.
For too long the Parasite has ruled over a mental wasteland of his own creating.

And in order to make us subservient to his twisted aims of total spectrum dominance the parasite has poisoned the waters, infected our minds with his own perversities and denied the existence of anything beyond the corporeal body-state, whilst simultaneously launching a never ending vicious and ruthless war against the human soul he repeatedly informs us does not exist.
He has, bit-by-bit removed the free-thinker, the philosopher, the wise man from centre-stage; replaced him with a gibbering, fame-obsessed body fixated retard, and held this idiot up as a role-model. And many have aped the self-concerned moron, even tried to outdo him on the stupidity-stakes, hoping that by simply being more stupid, more vain, more sexually-deviant, they will rise to the same stage as their parasitically-created hero. And yet –

‘Imagination is a glimpse of the divine’
-William Blake

-These insipid mimics fail to realise that fame is not democratic. It is an orchestrated spell intended to take us away from our own potentialities. It is a closed-club, existing only to offer us a ready-made escape mechanism, its ultimate aim is to restrict our innate desire to self-create, and utilise the endless possibilities of our potentially-boundless imaginations.
We are prisoners of the limitations set for us by our parasitical, self-appointed master.
In order to transcend our limitations all we have to do is realise that our master is not like us, despite the illusion of superiority, he is, by definition a ridiculous inferior.
His only strength is his psychotically-relentless pursuit of self-advancement. Having sapped our desires to self-advance is it any wonder that he has the power to dominate us?

It is merely our surrender that makes us slaves.

‘The greedy, ugly people are not like us,
They don’t feel the love,
That she and I would die without’
-Hefner.

And as for those life-affirming sensations of intense bliss and contentment – the sense of ‘outrageous good-fortune’ that breaks through our lives oh too rarely, and yet when it does, whispers to us of a divine truth long-forgotten – well, once we come to the realisation that the Parasite is incapable of such life-affirming feelings, that he is in fact completely devoid of empathy and contentment, then we realise the tragedy of his existence – the sheer, hollow ringing emptiness of a man who denies the existence of the human soul, chiefly because it is absent in himself.

Suddenly, upon this realisation, we begin to see the man behind the curtain. A man who best befits the old saying: ‘The small man cuts off the heads of others, in order to make himself seem taller’.
-Then, if we have any autonomy left at all, we refuse to stand in line for the chopping-block. Or to revert to an earlier metaphor, we refuse to continue offering our necks to the vampire.
And there is a reason that myth says that a vampire has to be willingly invited into your home in order to drain your energies and feed off of your life-force: we must first acquiesce to our own surrender. In order for the vampire/parasite to hold dominion over our souls, we must first give our permission.

But here’s the good part—-in the last years, months, weeks, days…the Parasite has been exposed on so many fronts for the vile predator that he is. Each day brings another revelation. And with each revelation a thousand more souls reawaken from the drugged slumber he has held them under. We are in the middle of the much-anticipated ‘acceleration’ that Terence McKenna and Robert Anton Wilson and countless others had predicted and expected. It is happening right now.
The masks are falling to the floor, the internet is uniting like-minded souls across the globe, and in doing so is de-facto releasing the souls themselves, and the internet is merely the forerunner, moving us toward an understanding of our true oneness. It is an important step towards the soon-to-occur Unification of the Cosmic Mind, which will open the way for a telepathic-interconnectedness that will ultimately shrug the vampire from our necks, and reduce the parasite to dust.

You can feel it now.

Among the debris of a tumbling, crumbling Empire of Lies, you can feel it.
Despite the day-to-day sordid revelations and exposes of the Predator’s vile and endlessly deceitful practices, you inwardly know that these are merely the death throes, the dying gasps of the Vampire Parasite whose long-held claims to immortality are being exposed for the lie they always were.

There is another myth about the Vampire; he withers and dies when exposed to the full glare of sunlight.
Well, an awakened populace will burn with the strength of a thousand suns.

So you better look out Parasite —
Coz we are the light.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The ‘awakend populace’ is asleep and dark and cold to the ‘parasite populace’, as much as the ‘parasite populace’ considers themselves awaked . . . who is parasite or awakened? The ‘awakened’ will allow all and sundry to exist make sure there are spaces and that communities of similar minded types have reasonable spaces to live as they will, the ‘parasite’ denies and will parasite off the unhappiness and frustration of those who are denied existence and spaces.

I’d say that the dichotomy or dark and light requires that without host or parasite, without vampire or victim, reality would cease to exist. There must be spaces for all, and government had better make sure the everyone with potentially-boundless imaginations has the space to indulge and later move on. There can be no 1000 suns without that single black hole. The cycle of nature cannot be denied, and whatever level of development we are at, rest assured that evil is as much needed as good (for lack of a better example much like any culture or fashion or style or subculture). To transcend both would be consignment to a grey immensity so terrible that the shaven conformity and mindless limited repetitive chanting of monks would seem pleasant by comparison.

So please do not disparage the appetites that define the asceticisms, some of us prefer to live alternately between entropy and creation or rest for centuries or millenia as either, even as those who wish to be Good or Evil for eternity have the same right to do so. Just remember, too many on one side, too many too long on either, results in HEGEMONY and the destruction of the fine balance of reality. There will be souls that play the part of fools until they grow up to decide to be either or none or both, there will be souls of many sorts, and that is where a legalized KILL ZONE (where murder might be ignored), and a legalized RLD with OPZ access where people drink and experiement with substances or drown in the sensation of their choice for as long as they want, and a legalized NON-CONTACT/NON-EMOTE ZONE (where no sports, even emotional or spiritual ‘touching/contact’ is allowed) will be enforced by government.

The hero is the one who sees all the above, the hero is the one who works to ensure the Facilitator abides by the right to express and the right to migrate, to be in the community appropriate to their level of development.This can span lifetimes, some may spiral down or up, but that is because someone else needed to move faster, slower or climb or fall. There is no taboo in REALITY save for that which others impose, but the Facilitators will be damned and even murdered (occasionally we witness political assassinations or accidents perhaps given by nature itself) for not ensuring that people get what they want, and in history many a revolution occured in retaliation because of denials. There could even be dystopian Capitalist hell but doubtless only a small portion of society would hole themselves in the Cult of Economics, even as the Cult of Naturists want to pick nuts and fruits from plants and walk around naked like Adam and Eve or in a RLD of their choice on the fringes of the Cult of Economics FOR FUN. THAT is reality which the Facilitators have FAILED to ensure thus far, causing cash based (‘pay or invest to enter’ rather than ‘your heart is right for this place so you can go there for free’) immigration blockades (where people closest to certain countries in their hearts may never be able to move to the country they love – Fundos should go to UAE for example, nudists could go to certain states in the USA, cultists could go to Aramea) or plutocracy based paradigms of society where food and jobs are so difficult to obtain and state dependency so high while land banks for food growing and housing are locked up by the state to their own citizens. MONEY is not what defines a spirit or a soul, MONEY must never limit rights of migration or the energy system in the astral and ether will make sure Humanity pays and NEVER EVOLVES.

So stop thinkin on the 3rd dimension and get those laws amended to a 4th or more dimensional compliant form, we will NEVER evolve as a species until the astral and ethereal incongruencies attract the super entity predators of other dimensions to make short work of us.

The life we have is OURS alone to experience by, the government is only a Facilitator and bureaucracy can never expect cults of personality or limitless terms. There is no other way or chaos by dominance by numbers will result. Everyone gets what they want and government will make spaces, ensure there will be no incursions by those diametrically opoosed in lifetsyle, by those who disparage, the size of each space will be appropriate to the requirement of the activity multiplied by the size of the community. There will be Hell and Heaven on Earth, there will be pockets of Nature untouched, there will be Urabanscapes for those who love that sort of density and a-spiritaulity, and the only underlying thread will be the Facilitator who (while currently failed) will not interfere nor judge, save only where the non-consensual are affected. Parasites have their spaces. The we who consider themselves ‘light’ (despite being obviously mortal) should begin fasting, self-imposing sensory deprivation and insulated communes to prepare for their transitions into ‘light’.

There must be freedom to travel, rights to migrate not based around wealth and distribution of wealth and land not sequestration by plutocrats or preventiopn of fair use (food growing or homes) state. This is just the start of civilisation, and if the above is not implemented in time, there will be more and more riots until Capitalism is wiped from the face of the earth for preventing natural migration and prevention of homeless and starving from using land to support themselves by. The only other rule is not to overpopulate. THAT IS ALL for now, if we cannot at least distribute land and wealth equitably first, nothing spiritual will move forward or be revealed.

ARTICLE 18

MICHIGAN – Good coffee is not easy to find. But good baristas are even more difficult to chance upon – and no, we’re not just referring to their coffee-making skills.

Hot Spot cosplay clad Baristas . . .

A couple in Michigan, USA, have come up with the perfect way to lure customers to their coffee shop.

Called Hot Spot Coffee, the drive-through coffee stand is attracting long lines of customers who are there not just for coffee.

The shop even has special days like ‘Topless Tuesdays’ and ‘Flasher Fridays’.

While their coffee-making skills might not be top-notch, the baristas at Hot Spot are definitely a unique addition to the workforce in Detroit.

Because of them, business has been brisk and Hot Spot quickly expanded to its third branch.

In a short, sheer, baby-doll negligee and coordinated pink panties, Candice Law is dressed to work at a drive-through espresso stand in… – Originally published Monday, January 22, 2007 at 12:00 AM – by Amy Roe – Seattle Times Eastside bureau

Candice Law, a barista at Cowgirls Espresso in Tukwila, chats with customer Gary Lundstrom. She and other baristas vary their outfits, depending on the day’s theme. “Everybody’s excited to see you,” Law says.
Enlarge this photo

Barista Candice Law at Cowgirls Espresso in Tukwila says she makes more in tips than she ever did as a waitress at Hooters.
Enlarge this photo

In a short, sheer, baby-doll negligee and coordinated pink panties, Candice Law is dressed to work at a drive-through espresso stand in Tukwila, and she is working it.

Customers pull their trucks up to the window, where Law greets each with an affectionate nickname, blows kisses, and vamps about as she steams milk for a mocha. “You want whipped cream?” she asks, a sly smile playing on her pierced lip.

The next customer rolls up, and Law throws a long leg onto the window sill, like an indie-rock ballerina at the barre.

“Do you like my leg warmers?” she asks. “Aren’t they hot?”

Hot is not the half of it. To stand apart from the hordes of drive-through espresso stands that clutter the Northwest’s roadsides, commuter coffee stops such as Tukwila’s Cowgirls Espresso are adding bodacious baristas, flirty service and ever more-revealing outfits to the menu.

At Port Orchard’s Natté Latté, baristas sport hot-pink hot pants and tight white tank tops. Day-of-the-week theme outfits ranging from racy lingerie to “fetish” ensembles are the dress code at Moka Girls Espresso in Auburn and at several Cowgirls Espresso stands in the area. Bikini tops are the special at Café Lorraine on Highway 9 in Woodinville, and the women of The Sweet Spot in Shoreline pose provocatively in Playmate-style profiles on the stand’s Web site.

“In this area, we all know how to make good coffee,” said Barbara Record, who opened Bikini Espresso in Renton last month. The trick is to set your business apart, she said, and sex is one sure-fire way to do that.

“It’s just, how far do you want to go?” she said.

At Best Friend Espresso in Kenmore, baristas go thigh-high. An elevated service window offers customers a nearly full-length view of pretty, young baristas — some of them high-school students — in short skirts, tank tops and high heels.

Best Friend owner Wayne Hembree said he requires employees to dress “classy;” in dresses, skirts and a nice top.

“What I think most of them have found is that their tips are better if they wear short skirts,” he said.

Occasionally, Best Friend does theme days, such as “schoolgirl” or adding glasses for a sexy “secretary” look, manager Heather Bacon said.

Longer commutes, a change in laws regulating the stands, and the saturation of the carryout coffee market have given drive-through stands a jolt in the past few years.

When the state’s smoking ban went into effect last year, many bar, casino and convenience-store owners sought to make up for expected losses by renting part of their parking lots to espresso stands, said Lori Bowden, owner of the Cowgirls Espresso stands.

The advent of “sexpresso” is harder to track. Business and baristas debate over who pioneered the edgy outfits, but they agree that by sweetening the product, with a smile and maybe a shot of hazelnut syrup, they’ve reached out to customers who’ve never set foot in a Starbucks.

Drive-throughs are a growing part of Starbucks’ business, too, with more than 1,500 drive-through locations throughout the United States. But a representative of the company said it has no plans to sex up the dress code, as it wouldn’t fit the company’s brand.

At places such as Cowgirls, the barista is the brand.

“If I’m going to pay $4 for a cup of coffee” said one male customer, “I’m not going to get served by a guy.”

That attitude has been a boon to Cowgirls. Bowden, a former vending-machine-company owner, has acquired seven drive-through stands, with a total of 26 employees, all of them women.

Though most of the stands in the area pay minimum wage, Law said she makes more in tips than she ever did as a waitress at Hooters. One recent morning, she served 400 customers between about 6 a.m. and noon.

“Your customers freakin’ adore you. Everybody’s excited to see you,” Law said. “You spend a few minutes with them and they leave.”

They come back, too.

When Ryan Reed pulled up to Best Friend Espresso for his usual, a 24-ounce iced vanilla latte, on a recent weekday afternoon, he knew what to expect.

Hembree said actually, he looks for customer-service skills. The dress code, which he started four years ago, was inspired by an employee whose polished look boosted business, he said. Hembree also requires staff members to wear makeup and do their hair, “and these guys, I won’t lie to you, they like that,” he said.

But Best Friend has made some enemies. Jeff Marshall, whose wife, Wendy, owns the gift shop Chalet Cadeau, said the couple moved their business from Kenmore to Kirkland last month in frustration over neighboring Best Friend Espresso. Marshall said the business caused traffic problems and drove customers away from the gift shop.

“It’s disgusting,” he said of the stand. “It’s an undesirable business from a community that’s trying to sell itself as a family-oriented community.”

Kenmore City Manager Steve Anderson said city officials looked into Marshall’s complaints.

“We’ve heard of issues and we’ve had undercover investigations, police surveillance, and it resulted in nothing,” he said. Likewise, King County sheriff’s spokesman John Urquhart said the business isn’t breaking any laws.

Bowden said law requires that employees cover their breasts and buttocks, so there will be no “thong Thursday,” as some customers have requested.

Back in that cow-spotted stand in front of Silver Dollar Casino in Tukwila, Law steams milk and dreams up new themes.

“I like the idea of Saran Wrap Saturday,” she mused. “Now they’ve got those colored Saran Wraps. Dude, they could totally make a cute outfit.”

Bikini Bottom Espresso, Inc.
Currently accepting resume’s and conducting working interviews! We offer full time, part time and fill in positions with all our espresso stands.
All are double sided drive thru, high energy, busy stands with great customer service!
Experience a plus, but not required! We are looking for outgoing, SUPER FUN, responsible barista’s who can be “Fashionista’s” and “ROCK” a Thong and some Pasties…once in a while.
Must be 18 yrs old
Must have own vehicle

If you feel you have what it takes to be the next “Bikini Bottom Barista”, then please apply!

Send a couple pictures of yourself in either a bikini or lingerie and a resume!
OR
You may apply in person at:

7919 176th
Puyallup, WA

13907 Pacific Ave South
Tacoma, WA 98444

10506 Bridgeport Way SW
Lakewood, WA 98499

Thank You, Talk to you soon!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“Do you like my leg warmers?” she asks. “Aren’t they hot?” Finally civilisation! I think those 72 ‘Muslim’ (disgusting!) virgins would be forgotten . . .

Now that’s what I’m talking about! Hot Spot is evidently learning from the movies. Try one with males as well on (viagra or non viagra shift . . . do ask . . . ) Ok so wheres that ‘5th Element’ (1997 Luc Besson) version of McDonalds (perhaps a half-naked clown for the LGBT window for those into that sort of thing?)? After work, hanging around the Juggalos AFTER a whole day of hanging around ‘jugs’ . . . USA! USA!

Eventually we will see various sub-culture themed specific franchises. Alexandria Luxor Fast Foods anyone? Beer and Lion dinner . . . ‘To order in Egyptian please press 1 . . . ‘. Think of this sort of thing as a Race Car Expo without the race cars but just the Beauties. Who says the only time beauty can be on display or for appreciation is at Car Shows?

USA! USA!

ARTICLE 19

I’m Voting Third Party This Year – by Dave Lindorff – 11-2-12

I, for one, can’t (can rather?) do it.

As much as I loathe the Republican Party and its standard bearer, the incredibly smarmy shape-changing one-percenter and serial prevaricator Mitt Romney, I cannot bring myself this Nov. 6 to vote for the re-election of President Barack Obama, the Nobel Peace Laureate with the mushrooming Kill List on his desk.

First, by way of full disclosure, let me state that I did, with misgivings and angst, vote for Obama in 2008. I did it with eyes open, based upon a (you’ll excuse the expression) “hope” that the many progressive voters, including a huge cadre of idealistic young people voting for the first time, and an unprecedented wave of minority voters, as well as working-class people of all races, religions and ethnicities, would come together after the vote and press him to be a progressive president, much as the working people of America back in the early 1930s had pressed a new president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, the bankers’ candidate from New York, to be a progressive president.

Boy was mine a vain hope!

What we got instead was a president who backed down in advance at almost every challenge, telegraphing his fall-back position, whether it was pulling troops out of Iraq or defending Social Security and Medicare, or even his supposed signal “achievement,” the passage of the so-called “Affordable Care Act,” now known as Obamacare.

Had the president barnstormed the country promoting what his supporters (myself included) had elected him to do — a massive jobs program, breaking up of the big banks and a restoration of the Glass-Steagall Act, passage of a new stronger labor law to make union organizing and bargaining more fair, establishment of a single-payer system for health care akin to what they have in Canada, ending the chain of endless wars, and restoring the Bill of Rights, this election next week wouldn’t even be close…

TCBH! Election Issue, Part II:

Why I’m Voting for Barack Obama – by John Grant

For an ordinary American these days, there isn’t much one can do to affect the direction of the federal government of the United States. Much of what our leaders do with that government — especially the more and more secret military and surveillance activities symbolized by the Pentagon — exists beyond the realm of real change.

One very small power a citizen retains in his or her public life is the vote. The problem, of course, is that critical issues are not discussed in the mainstream media where the national political dialogue occurs. For instance, you can’t use the term “class,” you can’t use the phrase “global warming” and you certainly can’t use the term “imperialism.” They are embargoed terms. And anything you cannot talk about and discuss in an effective manner is difficult or impossible to change.

As one soon learns in the journalism business, a national issue has to become a Democratic-Republican “pissing contest” before the mainstream will even touch it. Then it becomes a circus of who’s up and who’s down. So our imperial military-industrial complex — absurdly lumped under the euphemism “defense” — is discussed only by out-of-the-mainstream publications like This Can’t Be Happening and by third party candidates.

My more revolutionary friends, thus, see voting for President Obama as tantamount to selling out to the beast. I understand how they feel. While I’m as much a red-blooded American citizen as anyone and while I feel many Americans are good people, I’m thoroughly disgusted with the leadership in this country and the steady rightward drift over the past 30 plus years.

This feeling began for me when I came home from doing my service as part of the international war crime called the Vietnam War. I went to college and then started a career in journalism. Along came Ronald Reagan and his Shining City On a Hill. He preached the line that there was no “malaise” in America, and too many Americans ate it up like a herd of hungry cattle.

The joke going around these days is that Richard Nixon would be to the left of Barack Obama. It’s really not a joke; it’s true. The joke is on the American people and what could have been…

TCBH! Election Issue, Part III:

Lying Lines Republican Route to White House

By Linn Washington, Jr.

It’s bad enough that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney lies repeatedly on the campaign trail and top Romney surrogates like John Sununu crassly engage in race-baiting that elicits no rebuke from Romney.

But the Republican Party’s penchant for prevarication and prejudice in pursuit of the U.S. presidency is reaching a new low ­ yet again ­ with actions by a GOP aligned group called Raging Elephants.

This group is funding billboards in Texas and Tennessee trumpeting the factually flawed assertion that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Was a Republican,” and is urging black voters to “VOTE REPUBLICAN.”

A Raging Elephants’ billboard campaign in Memphis links that MLK-was-a-Republican line with requests to vote for a black female Republican congressional candidate running there.

This King-was-a-Republican claim resurrects a similar fraudulent claim mounted in 2008 by a group called the National Black Republican Association. That Association placed billboards in South Carolina, Florida and Denver pushing the same flawed contention about Dr. King.

There is no historical evidence that the decidedly non-partisan Dr. King worked for either Republicans or Democrats. Nor is there any evidence that King’s father publicly identified himself as a Republican, though many blacks during the early-to-mid-20th Century did, understandably identified politically back then with the party of slave-emancipator Abraham Lincoln.

Dr. King’s son, Martin Luther King III, in 2008, told the Associated Press that it was “disingenuous to imply that my father was a Republican. He never endorsed any presidential candidate and there is no evidence he ever even voted for a Republican.”

David Garrow, author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography on Dr. King, has told reporters that it is “simply incorrect to call Dr. King a Republican”…

JOHN GRANT, DAVE LINDORFF and LINN WASHINGTON, JR. are all members of ThisCantBeHappening!, the new independent Project Censored Award-winning online alternative newspaper.. Their work, and that of colleagues LORI SPENCER and CHARLES M. YOUNG, can be found at http://www.thiscantbehappening.net

After that NLP right at the front of the article . . . don’t be all ‘MMXII’ and calling yourself a ‘Trends Research Institute’ and not field any candidates during the election. Your single vote Mr.Lindorff, falls far short of what you could do by being a candidate in any constituency without a 3rd Party Candidate. If Dave does not run, lip service will be what a ‘Trends Research Institute’ will become. How about running for election in a constituency where there is no 3rd Candidate Dave? If ‘Trends Research Institute’ has the interest especially when USA is being wiped out, ‘Trends Research Institute’ will be unforgivable if ‘Trends Research Institute’ does not even field a single 3rd Party Candidate. Don’t sell yourself short while beinng big on ego, America needs 3rd Candidates in ALL states and all districts. A single vote means nothing. This is the political and effective version of ‘Occupy’. No GLC linked, no Plutocrats, no Nepotists, no persons who stayed beyond 2 terms, for a start. Show those 3rd World Countries how Occupy is done! OCCUPY ALL ELECTIONS! 3rd Force Candidates in all contested seats!

Meanwhile, would the ‘Trend’s Institute’ like to take up the Civil case against the ‘Apartheid of Bumiputra’ that has caused the lack of :

See what has happened in ASEAN? The Bar Council means nothing, entirely misses this sort of abuse. Don’t take American freedoms for granted!

Incidentally, Obama won the 2012 Presidential election . . . congrats but PLEASE deal with the inequality in Malaysia already and perhaps make an example of Muslims who try to dhimmify free and equal citizens of the world simply because they are Muslims! Will the US Embassy in Malaysia display exceptionalism and the UN act, to end the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA and lack of the above 3 listed items?

What do you call a Black man who rejects equal rights for his own people and others? A racist traitor.

What do you call a rejectionist leader? A criminal who should be impeached, removed and prosecuted.

Obama stands guilty on multiple counts. His rap sheet includes much more than spurning Palestinian rights. He’s complicit in grand theft and war crimes multiple times over. He’s unfit to serve. He should be in prison, not government.

Throughout his tenure, he repeatedly violated international, constitutional, and US statute laws. He’s contemptuous of fundamental rights and other democratic values.

From his earliest Chicago political days, he supported ethnic cleansing gentrification. Real estate and other financial priorities trumped populism. They still do and much more.

Obama fronts for wealth and power interests. As a state senator, he did it for his district. As president, he does it globally. He’s in lockstep with Israel on Palestine.

He supports occupation harshness. Palestinians are Muslims and don’t matter. Denying them fundamental rights is policy. So is total evisceration of freedom and standing four-square against sovereign independence in any form. He also opposes full or limited UN membership.

Washington wages wars multiple ways. Its repertoire includes financial and political warfare.

Last year, US Jerusalem Consul General, Daniel Rubenstein, told chief negotiator Saeb Erekat that Washington will veto a UN Security Council resolution on Palestinian sovereignty within June 1967 borders.

Doing so is illegal. It also carries no weight. The General Assembly alone affirms new member states by a two-thirds vote. The Security Council only recommends admissions.

Palestinians can override Washington’s veto by petitioning the General Assembly through the 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution 377. Doing so renders America’s veto null and void.

Washington pledged earlier not to oppose any state seeking UN membership. Of course, its promises aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The same goes for Israel. Both nations are rogue states. They govern by we’re boss and what we say goes rules.

Rubenstein also threatened to cut off all aid and impose other unspecified punitive measures. In July 2012, PA official Khaled Mesmar said Washington repeated its threat.

An unnamed US diplomat told Abbas in Ramallah. He, of course, only goes through the motions of seeking official statehood recognition and UN membership with enough rights to matter. Rhetoric substitutes for follow-through.

If proper procedures are followed, both objectives are within easy reach. Abbas struck out repeatedly on both counts. Expect nothing from him ahead. He epitomizes betrayal and illegitimacy. He represents Israel and Washington, not Palestine. He’s an unprincipled quisling head of state.

In June 2011, the Senate unanimously approved a measure to end funding if statehood is pursued. Weeks later, the House followed suit. It voted 407 – 6. Its resolution also called for suspending aid if Fatah/Hamas unity is consummated.

Both House and Senate resolutions are non-binding. Foreign policy is the purview of the Executive. Exceptions include the right to declare war. Congress alone may do so. It abdicated its authority over seven decades ago. It shows no signs of reclaiming it.

The State of Palestine, in fact, exists. It was proclaimed in Algiers on November 15, 1988. At the time, the PLO adopted the Palestinian Declaration of Independence.

PLO legal advisor Francis Boyle drafted it. He included safeguards to assure all sovereign state rights. His document left no wiggle room loopholes. He also made sure UN membership won’t comprise them.

Palestine satisfies all essential criteria for sovereign independence and full de jure UN membership.

Further, as the League’s successor, the General Assembly has exclusive legal authority to designate the PLO as the Palestinian peoples’ legitimate representative.

The Palestine National Council (PNC) is the PLO’s legislative body. It’s empowered to proclaim the existence of Palestine. According to the binding 1925 Palestine Citizenship Order in Council, Palestinians, their children and grandchildren automatically become citizens.

So are diaspora Palestinians. Those living in Israel and Jordan have dual nationalities. Occupied Territory residents remain “protected persons” (under Fourth Geneva) until a final peace settlement is reached.

They’re on their own to seek liberation PA leaders conspiratorially with Israel and Washington deny them. On September 27, Abbas addressed the General Assembly in New York. Once again he fell short.

His comments were watered down, weak-kneed, and duplicitous. He’ll again seek UN non-member state status, he said. On the one hand, he promised before and backed down.

On the other, why seek less than what’s easily within reach and should have been gotten long ago.

Last year, Francis Boyle emailed this writer as follows:

“I have advised the Palestinians to invoke the Uniting for Peace Resolution.” Doing so overrides Washington’s veto. “That get’s their Admission Application to the UN General Assembly.”

“It is the General Assembly that admits, not the Security Council. There they will need a 2/3ds vote of those states voting yes or no – abstentions, no votes, no shows do not count.”

At the time, the Financial Times estimated they had 170 votes. They constitute 88% of UN member states. “If they get the 2/3ds vote in the General Assembly, Palestine” joins their ranks, “and you have Palestine and Israel, which everyone says they want but, of course, they do not mean it.”

Boyle added that “Palestinians will always live to fight another day. And I will be there with them until my dying day. Or until Palestine is Free.” For the record, this writer pledges the same thing without compromising what’s right, fair, just, and long overdue.

On October 1, the London Guardian headlined “US warns European governments against supporting Palestinians at UN,” saying:

It came in private memo form. Go along or else. Memo language said UN status in any form “would be extremely counterproductive.” EU governments were told Palestinians will face “significant negative consequences.” Financial sanctions were mentioned.

The memo said Palestinian statehood “can only be achieved via direct negotiations with the Israelis.” Going that route, of course, assures permanent occupation, exploitation, persecution, and failure.

European governments were urged to support US obstructionist efforts. General Assembly representatives in New York were given Washington’s ultimatum. Do it our way or else.

Washington and Israel have serious concerns about rights UN member states are afforded. In another email, Boyle explained, saying:

Once Palestine “becomes a UN Member State, (it) can ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and then file a formal State to State Complaint against Israeli Officials, upgrading the lower level Complaint President Abbas filed at my advice.”

It can also “ratify the Genocide Convention and sue Israel for Genocide at the World Court, pursuant to the advice I had already given President Arafat and President Abbas, and get a temporary restraining Order against the Zionists, that would then go to the Security Council for enforcement, and if vetoed by the Americans, to the General Assembly for enforcement under the (1950) Uniting for Peace Resolution.”

“With these proceedings, (it may) be able to halt the Zionist settlement project of all Palestine in the immediate future.” It will also lift Gaza’s siege. Abbas refuses to do it. So did Arafat before him.

Decades of Palestinian leadership failure to do the right thing constitutes betrayal. Nothing ahead looks promising. A third Intifada is long overdue.

Courageous independent leaders are needed to inspire, organize, and direct it. Hopefully enough of them are committed and ready. Liberation won’t come any other way.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book is titled “How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War”

This is necessary for Obama to win the campaign – being soft on terror (aka Palestine who’s leaders are linked to so many rubbish groups and MUST be politically replaced) is not a campaign strategy. And the next President after Obama MIGHT revive US support for Palestine, *IF* the Muslets have been good and have not been pushing dhimmitude and being all terrorlike any and everywhere else (i.e. not a single American killed in the entire fundo area headed world), consider rescinding that order. Zionist settlements are illegal, but anytime Muslets use violence or manipulation to push their own selfish and proselytizing agendas, all deals with the rest of the world are off.

i) What do you call a Black man who rejects equal rights for his own people and others? A racist traitor.

Obama is just playing carrot and stick ‘Lendman’. What are you Lendman, an Islamist apologist?

ii) What do you call a rejectionist leader? A criminal who should be impeached, removed and prosecuted.

Look here ‘Lendman’ Obama is NOT Santa Claus especially to people who are murdering and killing and violently proselytizing, dhimmifying. Lendman seems quite Muslet subverted.

iii) It can also “ratify the Genocide Convention and sue Israel for Genocide at the World Court, pursuant to the advice I had already given President Arafat and President Abbas, and get a temporary restraining Order against the Zionists, that would then go to the Security Council for enforcement, and if vetoed by the Americans, to the General Assembly for enforcement under the (1950) Uniting for Peace Resolution.”

The Security Council will not act for a semi terrorist state against the best interests of relationships in the world elsewhere. If Palestine’s formation would aid seculaism, perhaps. But since Muslets are so very against everyone else and apply dhimmitude and hate against the larger part of the world including the Security Council nations, even in Palestine locally, inconceivable that USA will want to help Palestinian causes when Muslims behave badly elsewhere. Have the veto nations in the security Council had happy experiences with Muslets?

Azerbaijan. Cautious of Muslims.
Colombia. Cautious of Muslims.
Germany. Cautious of Muslims.
Guatemala. Cautious of Muslims.
India. Hell no. (Remember Mumbai hotel bombs.)
Morocco. Cautious of Muslims, especially the non-secularists.
Pakistan. If Pakistan seeks Hindu roots, Pakistan will be dignified more than if Pakistan becomes Islamist. Pakistan has also had too many Islamist inspired b.s..
Portugal. Uses Muslims as proxies for illegal activities? Thats the impression anyway, much like Somalia uses Islam as an excuse for piracy.
South Africa. They’d be better off focusing on the Animist tribal ways and REAL African Kings to focus on AFRICAN. not Arab cultures.
Togo. Same as above. Learn to speak Togolese instead of English or Arabic.

Lendman is dreaming or being manipulated here. I too love diversity, but after near 2 decades of lobbying for EQUALITY in Malaysia against the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA, I have found too many Muslims (mostly ethnic Malays who have no choice in religion anyway) disrespectful, refusing to give appropriate spaces to non-Muslims, blaring loudspeakers in an invasive and inappropriate manner(nothing in the Quran said to disturb non-Muslims with LOUDSPEAKERS, whats wrong with voice prayer?), fond of ‘spiritual conversions’ against the people’s wills (i.e. they convert the astral or ethereal body via some older black magic traditions if I’m not guessing wrongly — at least the voodoo intent is there to convert EVERYONE AGAINST their will in secret – whether this works or not could be seen if people like Lendman are being soft on Muslims or some idiot local politicians saying they will accept Hudud), via womenfolk and even to the extent of MRI based attacks or possibly neurotech against non-Muslims, bribery corruption, treachery of all shades.

So hell no should Obama be labelled with all of what Lendman does, this dropping of Palestine is not Obama’s fault, just a stern message to Muslims everywhere that USA is aware and dislikes Muslims who behave like cultists and terrorists immensely. To not be labelled as being soft on Muslims and also ensure a second term, Obama has did the necessary and perhaps well deserved as well. Sorry palestine, I too have had *spiritual* contacts with Muslims, and have been come away feeling immensely polluted and manipulated, even as weather systems express their hatred for the UN and NYC for not taking out the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA and leaving those doing important work to end dhimmitude of minorities to suffer years of afflicted quality of life. President Obama after winning that second term, how about a stern action against the Islam inspired APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA?

Or at least looking the other way while/when ASEAN’s anti-dhimmis clean up the mess here . . .

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson

Behind all the arrogance and smugness, Canada’s Stephen Harper is just an insecure petty tyrant. Like any unjust, unconstitutional ruler, he must fight a relentless war against his own country so that he can force it to serve the foreign and corporate interests that put him in power. To do this, he disdains Parliament, violates Canadian law, persecutes critics, tramples on civil rights, and sabotages national institutions.

As expected, Harper is increasingly isolated and loathed at home, so to maintain a power base he must increasingly count on support from a select political circle—of hell, presumably—consisting of corporate kleptocrats, media lackeys, pro-Israel pressure groups, and gormless true believers.

The same is true in foreign affairs. The world sees Harper as crude, ignorant and bumptious, so it’s hard to believe he enjoys any respect among civilized nations. “Civilized” connotes reason, compassion, intellect, and respect for the law, all of which Canada is supposed to stands for, and all of which Harper is determined to stamp out.

Harper, who rose like a methane bubble from the cesspit of right-wing populism, is not a tyrant in the usual sense. He exploits Canada not for his own interests but for the interests of a higher-order tyrant. As Israel’s proconsul in Ottawa, he serves the Zionist Imperial Authority as well as assorted multinational interests.

Back in June, Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson gave this sampling of Harper’s tactless bombast in the wake of Canada’s first ever failure to win a seat on the UN Security Council:

“Canada’s once-sterling reputation for caring about Africa is over. Canada’s reputation in the Arab world is mud because although ministers never criticize anything Israel does they never miss a chance to lecture the Palestinians.

“Canada is about to be spurned in its efforts to join the emerging trade bloc, the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Canada’s Commonwealth partners are worried the Harper government might wreck the next meeting in Sri Lanka because of its hectoring of that country’s government, a policy that curries Conservatives’ favour with the large Tamil community in Toronto. Canada’s feeble non-climate-change policy is universally panned.”

Undoubtedly, Harper knows that the long-term damage he is deliberately doing to Canada and Canadians will cost him in the next election, but he bulldozes ahead as if it didn’t matter. Even though the next election is three years away, and Canada’s political opposition lacks the brains or the balls to agitate for his impeachment, Harper’s fellatial servility to Israel may well turn out to be his greatest liability.

It’s one thing for a tyrant to boast of political support from foreign governments if he enhances his country and at least gives the illusion that the mass public benefits in some way; it’s quite another to do so for purely selfish reasons at the expense of his own citizens and his country’s reputation. Far from being a source of political power, the obscene, conspicuous support Harper gets from Israel may be his undoing.

Did Iranian embassy staff violate Canadian law? No.
Did Iran violate international law? No.
Does Iran pose a military threat to Canada or any nation? No.
Did Iran do anything to justify such an extreme, hostile response? No.

Here is the official excuse: “[Iran] is the most significant threat to global peace and security in the world today.” Harper’s foreign minion John Baird eventually had to admit that Iran hadn’t actually done anything to justify the expulsion, but had, in his words, “the capacity for increasingly bad behaviour.”

Leaving aside the inanity of this excuse and the non-existence of “bad behaviour” in international law, who made Canada the world’s moral arbiter, what did Baird mean? Developing nuclear power? Well, Iran has every right to develop nuclear power. Unlike Israel and the U.S.—both of which have nuclear weapons and have not signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty—Iran has no nuclear weapons and is a signatory. Moreover, the U.S. intelligence community concluded that Iran is not even close to building a nuclear weapon, and this finding is unchanged from earlier this year.

“We believe that there is time and space to continue to pursue a diplomatic path, backed by growing international pressure on the Iranian government, said a National Security Council spokesman: “We continue to assess that Iran is not on the verge of achieving a nuclear weapon.”

This view is supported by Shannon Kile, head of the Nuclear Weapons Project of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: “I still think that we are talking about several years … before Iran could develop a nuclear weapon and certainly before they could have a deliverable nuclear weapon.”

In response, a spokesman from the Iranian Foreign Ministry called Harper’s government “racist” and condemned the decision as “unprofessional, unconventional and unjustifiable.” So, naturally, Israel rushed in to bury Harper with praise. Fellow fascist Benjamin Netanyahu gushed: “I think what you did, severing ties with Iran, was not only an act of statesmanship but an act of moral clarity.” Moreover, The Jerusalem Post praised Harper as “Israel’s strongest advocate in international forums.”

Canada’s ingratiating posture toward Israel was perhaps best expressed by Baird in February: “I think the U.S. is a good friend [to Israel], too. I like to think we are better, a stronger friend.”

Of course, why Canadian government officials should be advocates for Israel, or any country other than Canada, should be debated loudly inside and outside the House of Commons. On the subject of statesmanship…

Face of the Nation

His Master’s Voice—United Nations
The “state” receiving Harper’s “manship” conspicuously does not refer to his own. For the second year in a row, Harper refused to attend the opening session of the General Assembly. This year, as well as demeaning the UN for its habit of condemning Israeli atrocities, he chose to go to New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel to receive yet another shot of foreign political steroids.

The Orwellian-sounding Appeal of Conscience Foundation chose to honour His Harperness as—get this—World Statesman of the Year. Though the ACF professes to serve the causes of religious freedom, human rights and tolerance throughout the world, any organization founded by a zionist rabbi (Arthur Schneier) and that includes unindicted war criminal Henry Kissinger as a member cannot be taken at face value. Like many zionist organizations, its positive sounding name has purely propaganda value. Kissinger, himself, even presented Harper with the award.

It is impossible to make sense of Harper’s speech, because it was not delivered in English for Canadians, but in Hasbarish, the private language of zionists. In Hasbarish, words have no independent value or any connection to logic or facts, and as such cannot cannot be used to formulate truth claims about anything. Hasbarish is a Humpty-Dumpty argot in which words mean whatever a zionist wants them to mean, and about which no debate is tolerated. In short, Hasbarish is an quasi-religious “anti-language” designed to impose irrational belief, not engender rational thought. Hasbara is based on claims of fallacy. It is the language of liars.

Here are two brief excerpts from Harper’s acceptance speech in which you can see how Harper’s Hasbarish depicts unreality.

“We Canadians are very conscious of our own sovereignty and we expect our governments to make pragmatic decisions in Canada’s national interest.”
(Based on this claim, Harper should be impeached. Here we see how empty, generic assertions can be abused for rhetorical purposes.)

“I speak not merely of [Iran’s] appalling record of human rights abuse or its active assistance to the brutal regime in Syria or its undeniable support of terrorist entities or its determined pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
(Hasbarish does not allow “appalling,” “brutal” and “terrorist” to apply to Israel or the U.S., so the sentence is little more than an insult. Note also the disconnect between Hasbarish and reality in the tendentious reassertion of Iran’s determined pursuing nuclear weapons, which is untrue.)

The chasm between Canadian reality and Harper’s Hasbarish has reached such cartoonish proportions that Israel is now an electoral liability for him. The fact of fascism in North America has become so overt that even the Globe and Mail, usually a loyal source of pro-Israel/pro-Harper tripe, can no longer stay silent. On Oct. 30, it ran a story headlined “Michael Ignatieff’s Timely Warning on the Politics of Fascism.” Though addressed to a U.S, audience about U.S. politics, the article’s right-wing columnist John Ibbitson even had to acknowledge that former Liberal leader Ignatieff’s warnings about fascism’s hastening the decline of the English-speaking world were wise and also applicable to Canada.

We should all hope that Canada stills exists in some recognizable form by the next election so we can all dance on Harper’s grave.

The white box approximately covers Canadian Native ‘First Nations’ which were colonized with violence and still under control of the Anglo-European continental invaders, Native ‘Canada’ is in fact a series of territories belonging to Red Skinned Races, NOT ‘White’ Caucasian Races. Will the UN, NAM or BRICS allow them their sovereignty in various world bodies?

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

DEMOCRATIC TOTALITARIANISM? No, but Canada in using Hasbarish looks theocratic and coloniser in intent and in potential rather than secularist and human rights protective instead. With the writer is possibly an Islamist apologist – there is no need to choose EITHER Islam or Zioism because Canada always has been and always will belong to – the Race of Red Men, the Native Tribes of what is called Canada. It is unconscionable that any group of foreigners with advanced military weapons lands on shores takes control of land and butchers the local population, Canada belonged to a score or more of hunter-nomad-agrarian tribes that were not expecting such an invasion and were taken over in the 1400s or more as colonialists.

The caucasians who enslaved natives, took over native lands (from which ancestral lands and old boundaries still known to Elders who know what that tribe owned as SOVEREIGN territory and can be reclaimed by), and established illegal colonies on land that did not belong to caucasians, or displaced local Native-Ameri-Indian peoples, discriminated against their shamanic ‘Pagan Ways’, and formed so-called governments from obviously illegally occupied territories, are war criminals with family lines that can be traced. Those caucasians who killed or violently occupied should be repatriated after their wealth is stripped. Those caucasians who tried to get along with the natives should be allowed to remain.

The caucasians who do not have any level of extreme wealth should be allowed to remain citizens of the nation for humanitarian reasons (moving is costly and some of the whites might consider that place home – if not excessive in size, they should be allowed to stay), the caucasians of wealth based on ownership of mineral or plantation or oil wealth simply because their past generations were part of the organized criminal colonisers that the UN could never consider bonafide owners (might does not make right, that is the basis of civilisation) must relinquish the major part of holdings to a fair degree to the original inhabitants and new Native owners (preferably in equal share) to have a right to remain IF their families had not indulged in stealing land backed by force.

Harper is French (i.e. Frankish) who’s faith was Frankish Paganism, not Zionism. Speaking in French was bad enough, but Hasbarish? This is ridiculous. The Native ‘Canadian’ Indians are the true owners of ‘Canada’, Canada was stolen about 600 years ago, their presence is illegal, and the UN needs to address their rights, ensure their culture and faith, as well as expel all who occupied illegally or proselytized offensively. If UN will not act to liberate, there is always NAM (though somewhat skewed towards Dhimmifying Muslims (see Malaysia’s Apartheid of Bumiputra or honour killings and beheadings elsewhere) which represents 55% of the world’s population, or BRICs, which represents 25% of the world’s landmass and 40% of the worlds population. Justice please for the oppressed Red Races!

The JGSDF’s anti-tank missiles can attack tanks, armored fighting vehicles and even small warships.

The JSGDF also has advanced pressing artillery. The M270 multiple rocket launchers outperform U.S. similar weapons in strike range, accuracy and power.

Japan’s military power cannot be underestimated

Du believes Japan’s military power cannot be underestimated. Almost all heavy equipment production lines are potentially dual-use. For example, Japanese car production lines can be easily converted to manufacturing fighting vehicles. No other countries in the world possess such huge war potential.

Japan is one of the world’s largest manufacturing economies. As the Japanese government gradually relaxes the Three Principles on Arms Exports, the arms export is likely to play an important role in improving the country’s economy in the future.

The issue of Japanese neurotech satellites trained en masse on critical troop or equipment positions will be the main worry of the Chinese.

Microwave guns that ignore armour to cook soldiers as well as subsonic sounds which might affect organs or nerves even the brain as well, could make ‘Hardened’ EMP immune electronics as well as sonic deadening suits necessary for infantry combat, if considered by China.

Finally there will be the issue of Chinese citizens’ CELLPHONES turning against them. A single broadcast at magnified levels could paralyse sensitive pathways of the human physiology. No troops should have any cellphones about themselves while at war- in fact civilians could be subject to low level bombardments as of now at subaural levels or other frequencies. Finally the issue of a second edible or breathable poison that works when the target has eaten an earlier substance something earlier on. This is extremely serious if applied because the Chinese have indeed been eating so much of Japanese products over the years that femto-scale poisons or who knows nanomites could already be about in China controlled by the Japanese or will be dumped in China. And while Japan could ultimately be defeated by sheer numbers of survivors, MANY of the urban or top level Chinese closest to or having associated with the Japanese could die in the process. Electronic warfare needs no soldiers and war machines and could be beamed from afar or from space. That could be the Japanese mode *IF* Japan’s treatment of Fukushima with a trolley-bot rather than a Robo-Mecha is just feigning a lack of technology.

Finally the hardware/mecha issue while impressive must first see China be able to counter the above issues, sound and radio wave attacks first. Only then will the hardware issue come into play or need to be applied. The next war could be won from afar with mind control satellites or chemical poisoning of a subtler sort.

ARTICLE 4

12 Year Old Sent to Detention For Hugging a Classmate – Posted on November 1, 2012 by Soren Dreier

In 2010 the parents from a Gold Coast primary school labelled a move to issue detentions for hugging on school grounds as “political correctness gone mad”.

Ms Rome says some parents at Amber’s school had complained about boyfriend/girlfriend hugging and excessive contact, prompting the rule to be introduced.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Theory on Aura and Touching

Until the aura is ‘matured’, the no touching rule should apply. This means even between children. ‘Group sleep sessions’ ALSO affect childrens’ aura and cause ‘hive minds’ so no sleeping in groups is also important for parents who want children to grow up as strong individuals. The final result is the identification of orgy participants who end up with a hive mind ‘organ’ much like sheep, while the non-hivers become alpha predators or gamma outsiders. This effect can be felt when re-assimilating after migration where one chooses to join a hive or keep separate from the hive. Spiritual gang rapes can also occur so identify those cities or societies that do this (typically religious ones) and stuck to capital cities with large influxes of foreigners to avoid being affected by hive mind groups.

Handstands, cartwheels, somersaults are also dangerous to the immatured aura as in that the later action of the astral body when asleep can and does cause accidents via induction of vertigo or sudden fainting spells in like minded persons most similar to the child in nature. Individualism is very important for autonomy, to remain separate unless one is a parasite, and the ‘hivers’, especially drug taking ‘hivers’ that participate in spiritual rape’, are particularly ‘verminous’ forms of humanity and that is also why the uniformity imposing religious, military or police as professions are considered ‘iron natured’ or lowly to some spiritually aware asian societies with societies imposing forced military conscriptions or enforcing a certain religion among citizens/on their citizens are spiritually criminal nations that make up the bulk of the 3rd world as in theocratic Buddhism or Islamism enforced by violence or threat of punishment or under threat of dhimmification or dhimmification of those not of their faith sunconsciously or consciously or by technicality.

Hence touching unless sanctioned by an individual based around sovereign laws should be disallowed, and the first thing a person learns in school, even by police or even by one’s family members. This rule should make rape and paedophilia difficult and foster relations completely at the individual’s preference. Feel free to debunk or argue if theory needs refining.

ARTICLE 5

French brewers hit by 160% rise in beer tax

President Hollande to push through legislation to fund social programmes – but brewers condemn plan as ‘kick in teeth’ – Associated Press in Brussels – The Guardian, Tuesday 30 October 2012 20.42 GMT

Men drinking beer
French brewers will be hit by 160% rise in beer tax. The move follows a 6% fall in beer production in the EU since 2008. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

The French president, François Hollande, is pushing through legislation to increase taxes on beer by 160% to help fund social programmes, as France struggles to contain a budget deficit hit hard by the economic crisis.

The tax increase will affect local brews and the 30% of imported beer the French drink. The change will push up the price of a beer by about 20% in bars and supermarkets, said Jacqueline Lariven, spokeswoman for the French brewer’s federation, Brasseurs de France.

The Brewers of Europe trade group described the measure as a “kick in the teeth”, as it follows a 6% fall in beer production and an 8% drop in consumption in the EU since the region’s debt crisis began in 2008.

Outside France, Belgium and Germany were likely to be hardest hit by the new legislation, said Pierre-Olivier Bergeron, head of the Brewers of Europe.

“This measure will affect all brewers, including small entrepreneurs,” he said. “This is a very shortsighted approach by penalising one sector.”

President Hollande said he hoped to raise €480m (£300m) from the tax increase on beer to boost medical insurance and elderly care.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Exempt small entrepreneurs not worth more than 3 million in total value. Those from 3 million to 5 million in value will be required to pay 20% rises, those from 5 million to 10 million in value will be required to pay 40% rises, those from 10 million to 20 million in value will be required to pay 80% rises, those from 20 million and above in value will be required to pay the full 160% rises.

The way the additionals funds are to fund social programmes will be WRITTEN BY the French Government (representative’s, though not people’s will until one day where 1 man 1 vote form bill writing is ratified by quorum), and the social programmes where funds are added are SELECTED ONLY BY the “The Brewers of Europe trade group alcohol brewers” (best practices, they paid so they get to choose) and must be entirely transparent to the public (no middlemen collusion and profiteering as in the PrisonBuildingContractor-PrisonSupplierCrony Complex of the West, ReligiousProduct-ReligiousTourism SupplierCrony Complex of the Middle East (think Haj and monopolies on pilgrim management companies . . . won’t go any further on this . . . ), or Education-Financiar-Student-Debt BankerCrony Complex of the Far East. Remember secularists, worship of EDUCATION to the point of sacrificing financial well being is no less fundamentalist than a terrorist who will blow up others. In the student debt case, the parents end up putting the financial viability of the family at risk.

ARTICLE 6

Fight the New World Order with Global Non-Compliance Thursday, November 1st, 2012.

Understand your enemy, and understand the weapons they use. Then use those same weapons against them. The money system is the head of the snake. Cut the head off the snake and the rest of it will whither and die. There need be No violence, no guns, no banners, no slogans, no group think, just a united act of global non compliance.

Remember that it is much easier to fight for principles than to live up to them and it takes a far braver man to stand up for what is right and spit in the face of authority than it does to blindly follow orders due to fear of the consequences. Understand that we are all one and the key to real change and unity in this world lies with love.

It is time for the people of the world to stop and realise that the divisions that supposedly exist amongst us are an illusion. There IS NO division and its time for everyone to understand the truth of this.

It is through the constantly promoted illusion of division that the system is able to function but in order for it to do so, it needs public compliance.

Stop complying with it and you will shut it down.

It’s time for us all to collectively stand together and address the root cause of the problems.

Everyone.

max igan

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Disinfo. The money system is only the DECOY that can easily be removed with a Senate and Parliament that both rectify the removal of the money system (i.e. fiat wealth). The real head of the snake is the Voting Basis Paradigm. Never vote for the GLC linked, Plutocrat or Nepotist or Term Limitless or fundo/police/military/banking system/prison complex linked). If everyone votes for Joe Publics not affiliated with the above groups, the NWO is finished. this is the best legal form of Global Non-Compliance.

Keep it illegal! Once legalized, the quality will drop like a stone… no pun intended.
@runman

Who cares the gov does heaps of crap that is illeagle dosnt stop them so how do they think they can stop me smoking pot. They cant and wont f em they stand for nobody and nothing. I am a free man not one of there slaves i have my own mind and free will. I dont need some idiot telling me what i can and cant do f em all
@JS

The feds have no jurisdiction outside dc and their territories, fact
Italics Mine

So, what happens if the voters vote to raise taxes? Or build a new school? Or prohibit smoking in town? These measures will become law. (Minority of One Laws must protect their rights)
@Edward B

The bottom line is that the War on Some Drugs is an excuse for the govt not only to invade your home and point a gun at you – but also to invade other countries and point guns at them. Thats the real prize. If the US wants to steal resources from a country – they invoke the War on Drugs. If the war on Marijuana is over – there is really not much left as only about 1 out of 200 drug users uses hard drugs. The US govt needs the war on Pot to committ terrible atrocities at home and all ove the world. All in the name of protecting you from a harmless vegetable that has never caused an overdose.
@SM

There are already cases in other areas where a local sheriff has sent Fed’s packing so it’s really a matter of will….nothing less. Put your local sheriff on the “hot seat”. Explain to him/her just how fast a recall election can happen if he/she “forgets” who they are to serve.
@alex smart 15 hours ago

Marijuana is a danger to the building, textile,energy and pharmaceutical industries. Who do you think your politicians are protecting. Not the people but the corporate entities who paid for tjheir campaigns. Your owned, so just shut up and accept your slavery.
@terrible1again

There is a simple solution to this issue. If the people of any of these states pass this law, all they have to do is pass another law that says any attempet by ANY law enforcement agent to arrest someone for excersizing this right will result in their arrest and a mandatory sentence of 10 years in state prison. This means the Feds arrest someone, that agent goes to prison. It’s the only way to enforce “states rights” as well as the “will of the people”. No federal agent will risk 10 years in a state prison to enforce a law the people of that stat don’t agree with. Simple enough.
@Capt. Kirk

Enslaving people over a plant… It.’s a sick joke.

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Xian inspired fundo alert anyone? Xians want to have a monopoly on psychedelics via their Eucharist or Wafer Flesh ceremonies IMHO. They won’t allow secularised ‘mysteries’ via plants given to EVERYONE by ‘god’, but would make the Church a profiteering ‘Toll’ keeper preventing others from accessing what ‘god’ had granted all men by victimless crime criminalisation laws. No group of men have a right to deny access to any other group of men to the bounty of this world. Think Amsterdam’s ‘Green Zones’ and apply.

Seattle Police Will No Longer Arrest Anyone For Marijuana Starting Tonight! (Perhaps 5 ounces for home or those relocating? Thats about the size of a large snack bag btw, if the government wants to be reasonable, might as well be reasonable all the way . . . anything beyond a small sized carton – 10 bags worth – though could be let off with a warning then a fine the next time or jail on a 3rd or more offense .)

ARTICLE 8

Superstorm Sandy: US East Coast fights back
At least 48 dead across the US East Coast after Superstorm Sandy, as President Barack Obama set to visit New Jersey and businesses and services attempt to re-open.
New York taxis are stranded on a flooded street in Queens Photo: Xinhua /Landov / Barcroft Media

by Raf Sanchez, Washington, Jessica Winch in London, Mark Hughes in New York, James Orr in New Jersey and Amy Willis, in Los Angeles – 11:08AM GMT 31 Oct 2012

Pope Benedict XVI gives his weekly general audience at St Peter’s square at the Vatican

11.19 Pope Benedict XVI says he is praying for the victims of Hurricane Sandy and expresses his solidarity to those working to clean up the damage.

The pope spoke to pilgrims as rain and wind pounded St Peter’s Square during his weekly public audience Wednesday.

He said he was “conscious of the devastation” to the east coast of the United States and that he offered “my prayers for the victims and I express my solidarity with all those engaged in the work of rebuilding.”

10.13 Battered by a record storm surge of nearly 14 feet of water, swaths of New York City and New Jersey remained submerged under several feet of water on Wednesday morning. In the borough of Staten Island, police used helicopters to pluck stranded residents from rooftops.

Across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey, members of the National Guard arrived to help residents pump floodwater from their homes, the city said on Twitter.

More than 8.2 million homes and businesses remained without electricity across several states as trees toppled by fierce winds tore down power lines.

A flooded section of Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, New Jersey

09.51 While New York City buses returned to darkened streets eerily free of traffic and the New York Stock Exchange was set to reopen its trading floor on Wednesday, it became clear that restoring the region to its ordinarily frenetic pace could take days – and that rebuilding the hardest-hit communities and the transportation networks that link them together could take considerably longer. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said:

Opinion We will get through the days ahead by doing what we always do in tough times – by standing together, shoulder to shoulder, ready to help a neighbor, comfort a stranger and get the city we love back on its feet.

Floodwaters from superstorm Sandy surround homes in South Bethany, Delaware

06.52 An Australian woman has described giving birth by torchlight as the superstorm hit New York. Sally Bertouch, 31, was staying with her husband James at a hotel close to NY Langone hospital when she went into labour just before the storm struck. Once at the hospital they described how lights were flickering before the power cut out completely. Eventually they were evacuated to Mount Sinai hospital where Sally gave birth to a baby girl named Sophie Deborah Here is an extract from the interview on news.com.au:

Opinion Unfortunately, the hospital was in the evacuation zone and it was being slammed by the storm.

“As we paced the corridors the lights started flickering, then the power went out completely at 8.15pm.”

After 16 hours of labour in the middle of a superstorm, they were plunged into darkness.

“There were no monitors, no foetal monitors, all the doctors had glow sticks around their necks. I had a flashlight. Sal was lying in the bed in the dark and the wind,” Mr Bertouch said.

The doctors were forced to do an epidural by torchlight. They used stethoscopes to monitor the baby and Sally.

“It was pretty scary, crazy, apocalyptic weather outside but I felt confident because the doctors and nurses were so confident and in control. They did an amazing job.”

05.40 The National Guard has arrived in Hoboken, a town of around 50,000 in New Jersey, according to AP. The Guard will be using high-wheeled trucks to transport residents out of the most hard-hit areas as well as ferrying in supplies, AP said.

04.23 Volunteers from all over America have been offering their services to those struggling in the wake of the storm. NYC Service, a government initiative, has been deluged with people offering hands for the clean-up operation, medical evaluations over Skype and grief councelling. The NYC Service page on Facebook already has more than 10,000 followers. The organisation has asked anyone who wants to help to email nycservice@cityhall.nyc.gov

04.20 GMT (12.20am ET) Good morning and welcome to our live updates as the US east coast counts the cost of the devastating Superstorm Sandy.

NEW YORK – The UN Security Council will meet later on Wednesday to discuss Somalia and other issues, but it has been forced to relocate because of water damage to parts of the United Nations complex from the storm Sandy, diplomats said.

It was not immediately clear how badly the UN buildings were damaged by the storm. Diplomats said flooding in basement areas was severe enough to require the 15-nation council to move to a temporary container-like structure built to house parts of the UN secretariat and conference rooms during a years-long renovation of the main buildings due to finish in 2013.

Reporters accredited to the United Nations have so far not been allowed back into the world body’s headquarters by the East River in midtown Manhattan. It has been shut since Monday before Sandy crashed ashore the same day, the largest storm to hit the United States in generations.

OMG there are such things as Snighs after all! Hell yeah! Go nature! The congressman said kicked off, not flooded off. Earthquake anyone? That would give some ‘kick’. Well BRICS? Go ahead with the mobile version on an aircraft carrier to prepare for when the UN based in NY no longer exists!

Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia (RIA Novosti/Ramil Sitdikov)

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill has urged priests to stop startling the public and making inappropriate jokes, but rather focus on doing good deeds.

“We sometimes witness priests who make shocking statements, excuse me, without rhyme or reason,” Kirill observed. That can either be a result of “emotional inertia” – when a person gets involved in something and simply cannot stop – or a lack of responsibility, he pointed out.

The clerics’ words are often quoted and interpreted one way or another and, also, used to bash the Church, the patriarch underlined speaking at a festival of Orthodox media “Faith and Word” on Wednesday.

The Orthodox Church repeatedly accused the media of launching an information war against it, while the press criticizes the top clergy for their alleged merger with the state, and the luxurious lifestyles and posh cars of some.

The infamous Pussy Riot trial triggered a fresh wave of accusations, with the punk band’s supporters insisting that the best demonstration of Christianity would be to release the women instead of sending them to jail. Controversial statements by some clerics only add fuel to the fire.

Speaking on Wednesday, the head of the Church reminded priests that their duty is to visit hospitals and asylums as well as to help drug-addicts, alcoholics, youngsters and those who are still in search of their faith.

“Such work brings less publicity,” he noted, adding that striving for popularity is sinful.

Patriarch Kirill pointed out that “shocking the public isn’t our mission, let others do that,” Interfax agency quoted. He urged “Orthodox communicators” to watch their words.

“Sick jokes” by some clerics rock the internet, while important statements by the Church go unnoticed as users are too busy discussing the jest, the patriarch lamented.

Archdeacon Andrey Kurayev is one of the top Orthodox stars on the Russian internet, famous for his controversial statements. His comment on the Pussy Riot performance – as they put it, the “punk-prayer” – in Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral became a hit among bloggers and outraged many Orthodox believers.

“If I were a sacristan in this cathedral, I’d feed [the girls] with pancakes and give each a chalice with mead,” he wrote in his blog. “And if I were a head layman, I’d also pinch them a bit in a fatherly way to bring them to reason.”

He added that what they did was certainly a disgrace, but an acceptable one, since it was performed during Pancake Week (also known as Maslenitsa) – a traditional time for “buffoonery”. The Eastern Slavic holiday is celebrated in the last week before Lent and marks the coming end of winter.

Witty or not, it was intended as a joke. However, sometimes Church officials make rather serious statements reflecting their personal political stance.

Earlier this week, Priest Sergey Rybko – known for his radical statements – called the participants of Russian anti-government protests “public enemies.”

“The opposition’s activity simply weakens the state and we can lose everything as a result of that. I see no alternative to [President Vladimir] Putin who can hold power in the country,” he told RIA Novosti.

Russian Church officials stressed later that Rybko was voicing his personal stance, adding that “as a Russian citizen” he has a right to do so.

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Suggestions for punishment of priests by state. Out of robes and out of the church is acceptable for sure due to free speech. Semi wrong if either in robe but outside in casual AND inside church but out of robe – amounting to a warning, suspension if 2nd offense, extended suspension with fine on 3rd, excommunication on 4th but no jail, this is about appropriateness not enriching the PrisonBuildingContractor-SupplierCrony Complex. If both in Church and in robe while making statements, then inappropriate and actionable and considered a double offense. Suspension if 1st offense, excommunication on 2nd but no jail. Enrich the PrisonBuildingContractor-Supplier complex at the Russian’s Church’s expense? Sick. How about freeing Pussy Riot type cases? The state has no time for punk girls in prison. Real prisoners are terrorists or spies!

ARTICLE 11

Buddhist monk is the world’s happiest man – Monday Oct 29, 2012

Tibetan monk and molecular geneticist Matthieu Ricard is the happiest man in the world according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin. The 66-year-old’s brain produces a level of gamma waves – those linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory – never before reported in neuroscience.

As he grins serenely and his burgundy robes billow in the fresh Himalayan wind, it is not difficult to see why scientists declared Matthieu Ricard the happiest man they had ever tested.

The monk, molecular geneticist and confidant of the Dalai Lama, is passionately setting out why meditation can alter the brain and improve people’s happiness in the same way that lifting weights puts on muscle.

“It’s a wonderful area of research because it shows that meditation is not just blissing out under a mango tree but it completely changes your brain and therefore changes what you are,” the Frenchman told AFP.

Ricard, a globe-trotting polymath who left everything behind to become a Tibetan Buddhist in a Himalayan hermitage, says anyone can be happy if they only train their brain.

Neuroscientist Richard Davidson wired up Ricard’s skull with 256 sensors at the University of Wisconsin four years ago as part of research on hundreds of advanced practitioners of meditation.

The scans showed that when meditating on compassion, Ricard’s brain produces a level of gamma waves — those linked to consciousness, attention, learning and memory — “never reported before in the neuroscience literature”, Davidson said.

The scans also showed excessive activity in his brain’s left prefrontal cortex compared to its right counterpart, giving him an abnormally large capacity for happiness and a reduced propensity towards negativity, researchers believe.

Research into the phenomenon, known as “neuroplasticity,” is in its infancy and Ricard has been at the forefront of ground-breaking experiments along with other leading scientists across the world.

“We have been looking for 12 years at the effect of short and long-term mind-training through meditation on attention, on compassion, on emotional balance,” he said.

“We’ve found remarkable results with long-term practitioners who did 50,000 rounds of meditation, but also with three weeks of 20 minutes a day, which of course is more applicable to our modern times.”

The 66-year-old, accompanying other senior Tibetan monks at a festival in the remote Nepalese Himalayan region of Upper Dolpa, has become a globally respected Buddhist and is one of the religion’s leading western scholars.

But he has not always been on the path to enlightenment.

Ricard grew up among the Paris intellectual elite as the son of celebrated French libertarian philosopher Jean-Francois Revel and abstract watercolor painter Yahne Le Toumelin.

“All these people used to come around, most of Paris intellectual life. We had all the French painters and I was myself interested in classical music so I met a lot of musicians,” he said.

“At lunch we’d have three Nobel Prize winners eating with us. It was fantastic… Some of them were wonderful but some could be difficult.”

By the time he got his PhD in cell genetics from the Institut Pasteur in Paris in 1972 he had become disillusioned with the dinner party debates and had already begun to journey to Darjeeling in India during his holidays.

Eschewing intimate relationships and a career, he moved to India to study Buddhism and emerged 26 years later as something of celebrity thanks to “The Monk And The Philosopher,” a dialogue on the meaning of life he wrote with his father.

“That was the end of my quiet time because it was a bestseller. Suddenly I was projected into the western world. Then I did more dialogues with scientists and the whole thing started to spin off out of control.

“I got really involved in science research and the science of meditation.”

A prominent monk in Kathmandu’s Shechen Monastery, Ricard divides his year between isolated meditation, scientific research and accompanying the Dalai Lama as his adviser on trips to French-speaking countries and science conferences.

He addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos at the height of the financial crisis in 2009 to tell gathered heads of state and business leaders it was time to give up greed in favor of “enlightened altruism.”

His other works include “Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill” and several collections of photographs of the landscape, people and spiritual masters of the Himalayas.

Ricard donates all proceeds of his books to 110 humanitarian projects which have built schools for 21,000 children and provide healthcare for 100,000 patients a year.

He was awarded the French National Order of Merit for his work in preserving Himalayan culture but it is his work on the science of happiness which perhaps defines him best.

Ricard sees living a good life, and showing compassion, not as a religious edict revealed from on high, but as a practical route to happiness.

“Try sincerely to check, to investigate,” he said. “That’s what Buddhism has been trying to unravel — the mechanism of happiness and suffering. It is a science of the mind.”

Copyright (2012) AFP. All rights reserved.

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Theory. Neuroplasticity is an NLP word to trick the body into accepting plastic particles or chemicals into the brain. This article about happiness is in fact a NLP form of prozac that is intended to create a weaker willed and stupidly smiling sheep class that does not retaliate but hides within contrived happiness supported by articles such as these. Anger is progress. Hatred is defense. Retaliation is what the tyrannical and complacently stupid need. I’d prefer the non-theocrat hipster smoking something ‘god’ gave free and relaxing in a non-capitalist area of the world, than an old ‘bear’ (Ctholic-priest?) type or their sick minded fundo inspired families rife with child abuse behind veneers of respectability. Refutes?

Apple’s Siri, a popular voice-activated personal assistant app for iPhones, is now accused in China of being “too smart” as it may help users find illegal venues offering prostitution, Chinese media reported.

According to Xinhua news agency, some iPhone users with Apple’s latest IOS 6 operating system and Chinese-language Siri said when they asked the assistant app “Where to find prostitutes,” Siri showed 15 places with detailed locations.

While many netizens were shocked by the app’s powerful search feature, some suggested it could help police crack down on houses of prostitution.

A reporter with Xinhua tried using Siri to search for prostitutes in Baoshan District in Shanghai and the app provided 12 locations in the search result, mostly entertainment venues.

The reporter picked one on Shuangcheng Road and went there in the middle of the night to see young women wearing sexy clothes at the venue’s entrance.

A staff worker told the reporter that the venue offers prostitutes in KTV or karaoke rooms, while customers may pay additional fees to take prostitutes out of the venue.

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This helps give sex workers autonomy and independence while keeping businesses going through recommendations to tourists who will also add a sense of interest via international flavour to the regular goers who might otherwise never see foreign patrons. For sex workers, the benefit is, instead of being tied to certain ‘bar fine’ systems or effectively locked in to avoid wandering aimlessly searching for clients outside, they could even eventually become outcall and have a choice of going independent and perhaps for those not really into the trade even move on to other work or even get married. The more options the better, the more they move around the better. Also China needs formal Red Light District zoning so that the issues and monitoring of the adult industry will be easier.

ARTICLE 13

Noted: Network of Tubes. Literally. – Tue, Mar 31, 09

Old Technology better than Crony Job System

Ted Stevens was right, the Victorian Internet consisted, quite literally, of a ‘Network of Tubes’. Paris, London, Prague and Vienna had extensive networks of pneumatic tubes which delivered messages in capsules. In New York 5 million mail messages passed every day through an underground pneumatic system, and a network in Berlin delivered hot meals directly to people’s homes suggesting that kitchens would no longer be needed in the future. Today these systems can still be purchased where they are used in places like hospitals where samples are passed between departments.

USS Midway aircraft carrier pneumatic message system

New York Public Library Messaging System

Lamson pneumatic tube system

Main Control Panel for the Prague Pneumatic Post

If you have ever used one of these, as I have at an educational institution many years ago, you’ll never forget the immensely satisfying pneumatic plump sound when your payload is sucked up the tubes.

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They should have replaced the Postage department of all countries with the direct to the individual letterbox “Pneumatic Post Delivery Tube” instead of paying all those salaries for decades to the occasional unreliable ‘disgruntled postal worker’, and potential sabotage by any Orwellian bribed postmen by now. Add cams to the tube-containers as well as GPS, and mail will never be sabotaged again. This is the solid form of email that cannot be sabotaged.

And they also are officializing their rejection of US capitalist hegemony… for the End of the Mayan Calendar!

In a symbolic rejection of US capitalism, Bolivia announced it will expel the Coca-Cola Company from the country at the end of the Mayan calendar. This will mark the end of capitalism and usher in a new era of equality, the Bolivian govt says. “December 21 of 2012 will be the end of egoism and division. December 21 should be the end of Coca-Cola,” Bolivian foreign minister David Choquehuanca decreed, with bombast worthy of a viral marketing campaign. The coming ‘end’ of the Mayan lunar calendar on December 21 of this year has sparked widespread doomsaying of an impending apocalypse. But Choquehuanca argued differently, claiming it will be the end of days for capitalism, not the planet. “The planets will align for the first time in 26,000 years and this is the end of capitalism and the beginning of communitarianism,” said Choquehuanca as quoted by Venezuelan newspaper El Periodiquito. The minister encouraged the people of Bolivia to drink Mocochinche, a peach-flavored soft drink, as an alternative to Coca-Cola. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez followed suit, encouraging his country to ditch the American beverage for fruit juice produced in Venezuela. ­

McFailure

Last year, Bolivia became the second Latin American country not to have a single McDonald’s. The fast food giant finally gave up on Bolivia after being unable to turn a profit in the country for over a decade. Following this failure, the monolithic multinational released a documentary titled ‘Why McDonald’s failed in Bolivia.’ Referencing surveys, sociologists, nutritionists and historians, the company came to the conclusion it was not their food that was the issue, but a culturally driven boycott.

Bolivian President Evo Morales has a reputation for controversial policies similar to the Coca-Cola ban. Morales pledged last month to legalize the consumption of coca leaves, one of the main ingredients of cocaine. “Neither the US nor capitalist countries have a good reason to maintain the ban on coca leaf consumption,” said Morales.

The coca leaf was declared an illegal narcotic by the UN in 1961, along with cocaine, opium and morphine. The consumption of coca leaves is a centuries-old tradition in Bolivia, strongly rooted in the beliefs of various indigenous groups. Now this is some fun yet strange news coming from an evolving Latin America. Applying 2012 predictions to State politics?

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Perhaps if McDonalds and Coca-Cola sourced and manufactured the food locally and LOWERED FRANCHISE FEES and shared premises with other franchises, Bolivia would accept McDonalds and Coca-Cola. Better a conglomeration based presence than none at all. Closed entirely? Change practices and keep open.

‘I was a boy.. then a girl.. now I want to be a boy again’: Agony of of teen who is Britain’s youngest sex-swap patient – by Mirror.co.uk – 28 Oct 2012 00:00

Ria Cooper has spent the last year having hormone injections to turn her from a boy into a girl
Ria has failed to find happiness following her sex-swap treatment Ria has failed to find happiness following her sex-swap treatment
Sunday Mirror

Teenager Ria Cooper has spent the last year having hormone injections to turn her from a boy into a girl.

Formerly named Brad, she has ­already developed breasts, dresses in glamorous outfits, wears her hair in a feminine bob and has dated several young men.

At 18, she is Britain’s youngest sex-swap patient.

Yet despite thousands of pounds worth of NHS treatment, as well as psychiatric and doctors’ assessments, Ria has now decided she wants to go back to being a BOY.

Her decision, which comes after two suicide attempts, calls into ­question whether she was too young to be allowed to swap sexes in the first place.

“Life has really got on top of me recently,” she says. “The hormones have made me feel up and down. One minute I feel moody and the next minute I feel really happy.

“A couple of months ago I’d had enough and took a lot of paracetamol but my friend found me and made me sick. Just before that, I’d tried to slash my wrists and ended up in hospital. I get these dark moods when ­nothing seems right.

“The night I tried to slash my wrists I’d downed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and just thought about how alone I am, how my decision has alienated my family and how I will have to become a boy again to resolve it.

“I don’t want to live in isolation, away from everyone I love. This is the only way forward. I just want to be happy and this is my last chance.”

Ria Cooper As a teenager, Ria begged doctors to turn her into a girl – ITV/Sunday Mirror Grab

Ria, of Hull, East Yorks, has been dressing as a girl since she was 12. As Brad, she would wear clothes ­belonging to her three older sisters and borrow her mum’s ­lipstick.

At school she was taunted for being gay and was eventually excluded for getting into fights.

Aged 15, she begged doctors to turn her into a woman, believing it would change her life for the better.

She was referred to a psychologist at Hull Royal Infirmary and later to the Gender Identity Clinic in London, where specialists agreed she was a woman trapped in a man’s body.

Aged 17, Ria started hormone ­injections, making her the youngest ever patient in the UK to receive such treatment. But the controversial ­decision has devastated her life.

She has fallen out with family, got into dangerous situations with men and even worked as a prostitute.

Female hormone injections have seen her develop tiny breast buds and she no longer has to shave every day. She is booked in for the full ­transgender op in January but now says she will no longer go ahead with it.

Ria Cooper as a boy (Bradley Cooper) Born a boy and called Brad, he was always dressing as a girl

“It will be strange because the last time I dressed properly as a boy I was about 10 years old,” she says.

“I’m still conscious of the way I look and I want to look like a trendy gay man rather than a girl-boy.”

Ria’s last hormone injections were three months ago when she told her doctor she will not be having any more. The breasts she has developed should slowly disappear.

She says: “I just can’t be what I want to be. My mum Elaine loves and ­supports me as much as she can, yet she doesn’t allow me to live at home any more. My dad barely speaks to me and says I’m an embarrassment. I think as the only boy in the ­family he thought I’d follow him into the steel business and pictured us working out together at the gym.

“Obviously it’s not turned out like that. I don’t know who I can trust as friends. I feel really, really alone.”

Critics warned two years ago that Ria’s tender years meant she was too young to make the decision to become a woman.

Last night child psychologist Karen Sherr, formerly of Great Ormond Street Hospital, said: “It’s absolutely ­ludicrous for young kids to make such huge, life-changing decisions… and for doctors and their parents to support it.

“At that age you haven’t developed fully, neither physically nor ­emotionally. You’re still exploring your ­sexuality and you don’t know how you might end up.

“Children need to be allowed to grow into adults before they go through with something like a sex change because, as this case shows, at that age you don’t know yourself well enough.”

But Ria insists: “I don’t regret my original decision. I’ve always known I wanted to be female since I was a little girl but it’s all led to so much trouble.”

Choking back tears, Ria reveals how hormone ­treatment has left her ­feeling ­emotionally unstable, highlighting the two suicide attempts she has made in the last three months.

At 5ft 10ins with a head of glossy raven hair, Ria attracts a lot of male ­attention, but her fragile mental condition has led to low self-­esteem.

“The hormones have given me ­emotions I find it hard to cope with, teamed with a high sex drive,” she says. “Over the last year everything has been about sex and boys and wanting to be loved.

“I’ve had a couple of boyfriends who’ve known what I am, but straight men just see me as some sort of lady boy, a freaky challenge to notch up on their bedpost.

“Gay men don’t want me because they want a real man. I’ve nobody at the minute and don’t feel I can ever find love the way I am.

“There’s nothing to guarantee I will find love as Ria or Brad but I think I’ll have more luck as a gay man.”

Ria admits to dabbling in prostitution – something touched on by a recent ­Channel 4 documentary which followed her life over a year. “If there’s one thing I regret it’s that but, as usual, it was all about ­looking for love and being loved.

“At the time I thought the guys booking me must have really liked me as a person, but now I just realise I was some sort of secret thrill to them. I cheapened myself thinking I was ­being loved.

“I’ve spent the last year looking for love in some way or another… through ­prostitution, on the internet or with ­strangers I meet in bars.

“I now know I have to like myself before anyone else appreciates me. All I want to do now is find a nice man as Brad and settle down into some sort of normality.”

The rift with her dad Bjorn, who split from Ria’s mum when she was three, has left her deeply affected.

She says: “When he saw the ­documentary he called me and said he was disgusted. I phoned him the other week to say I’d be near his home in Hull and asked if we could meet up but he said he was busy.

“I know my mum loves me but it’s hard for her to take despite ­trying to be ­supportive. It just seems everything is against me ­becoming a woman and I’ve had enough.

“I just feel tortured. I feel really ­depressed. I have real problems sleeping. Sometimes I’m still up at 4am just thinking about how life is.”

Ria says she used to be close to her sisters but her relationship with them has also suffered, adding: “They’ve been great but I know they feel everything this has put Mum and Dad through.”

Jobless Ria has now moved away from Hull and is sleeping on a friend’s floor nearby. She says: “I just wanted a fresh start, to go somewhere where nobody knows me.”

Now she’s considering a career in the Army. “At least if I go back to being a boy I’ll be able to join without discrimination from other soldiers,” she says. “Gay male recruits are now more accepted. “I’ve always wanted to join the Forces. Ironically. I’ve dated quite a few soldiers over the past two years!”

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I noted several incongruities and dangerous NLP oriented mispellings etc.. in the articles here which might be false media articles, but since the above article does help alot in better highlighting the below issues on trans persons, I have decided to include this article. Read between the typos of the online media readers! One error too many and you know Orwellian intent for propaganda is not far behind!

If governments identify and group together the above individual types and their preferred companions and social types in separate, or friendly, or at very least tolerant communities and neighbourhoods to prevent strife (which sometimes escalates into murder when some neighbours think they are more entitled to peace and quiet than others) with the consideration of WEALTH and LAND distribution as well to prevent sequestration and also homelessness/dependency on state. Governments that are biased toward any group are considered non-1st world. Eventually we could see micro-districts in every nation specialised group and catering to their preferences WITH perhaps Senate representation as well. Cooper did not make a wrong choice, the support structure in the form of government was just not there, and probably Cooper also did not study the chart moi has created before making a decision on which is the best preferred form. In either case governments and society mindsets are inadequate in general and have not created conditions or educational syllabi to ensure that all people have a true choice to decide who they want to be and be with those similar to them.

Rough sketch of a chart (needs to be redone abit) for LGBT organisations to use in education of non-LGBT persons or perhaps at schools about sexual variants/tri-quadra-morphism etc..

‘I will never work with that man again’: Cheryl Cole slams designer Julien Macdonald for insulting her when she was at her lowest – by Bianca London – PUBLISHED: 09:47 GMT, 22 October 2012 | UPDATED: 12:38 GMT, 22 October 2012

From her fashion choices to her chart-topping hits, the nation’s sweetheart can currently do no wrong and she has an army of loyal fans backing her every move.

But there is one person who isn’t in the Cheryl Cole fan club, and whose already sour relationship with the star just took an even more bitter turn.

The 29-year-old singer has revealed that she will never again work with outspoken designer Julien Macdonald who branded her a ‘chav’ and told her that her newly-coloured red hair looked terrible at mutual friend Sarah Harding’s Halloween party two years ago.

Cheryl Cole has admitted that she will never work with designer Julien Macdonald again after he insulted her style

In friendlier times Cheryl Cole, Julien MacDonald and Nicola Roberts spent time together at the Julien MacDonald Catwalk Show in 2007

‘You have no idea how he ranted and raved. It was at a time when I was really fragile and vulnerable. I was, like, you have no idea what I’m going through.

‘I will never have a working relationship with that man again,’ she said in a candid interview with The Sunday Times Style magazine.

Cheryl, who even attended the designer’s show before their argument, was told to sack her stylist by the 41-year-old Britain and Ireland’s Next Top Model judge.

While Julien was the one who designed the slashed military suit that Cheryl made a fashion hit in her number one song Fight For This Love, the pair’s friendship has most certainly fizzled.

Julien Macdonald insulted Cheryl’s red hair and told her she needed a new stylist … the star ditched the hair dye and did hire a new stylist to help revamp her image, but still finds the designer’s comments upsetting

Prior to the argument, Cheryl was a big fan of the designer and often wore his pieces which she received much acclaim for

From dazzling trousers to revealing dresses, the star regularly wore Julien’s designs on the X-Factor

Her new favourite designer is Henry Holland, who she met through band mate Nicola Roberts and she also has a penchant for Balenciaga and Guiseppe Zanotti which she picks up on designer clothes site Net-a-porter.

Famed for her trim figure, Cheryl also dished on how she is able to fit in to her favourite designer clothes: she feasts daily on fresh Japanese food delivered to her Hertfordshire home by the A-list adored restaurant Nobu.

But, like all good super slimline celebrities, Cheryl also admitted to having a very sweet tooth.

Julien even designed the military outfit that Cheryl put on the fashion map in Fight For This Love
There is no stopping Cheryl, who recently announced her reunion with fellow Girls Aloud band members

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Don’t discriminate against that word. Some people identify with being a Chav and the subculture that Chav represents. Mul/Burberry’s anyone? The English attacking Scottish Tartan no less! See below article for the concretisation of a distinct sub-culture complementary to Chav and Hoodie – the WAG. Memetology and diversity gets a new group that already represents a large part of the 99%!

ARTICLE 17

Porn crackdown (Global Times) 11:15, October 24, 2012

Beijing has launched a new campaign targeting pornography and illegal publications under the supervision of the National Anti-Pornography and Anti-Illegal Publications Office, the Beijing Evening News reported Tuesday. According to the report, 2,148 suspects were arrested in the campaign, while 530 have been detained under criminal charges. Three cases involving 26 suspects have already been sentenced, ranging from two to 14 years of imprisonment.

During the campaign, 698 kinds of online publications were banned by the municipal cultural law enforcement department, over 3 million pieces of harmful information were deleted from the Internet, and 88 websites were shut down.

Strength is the ability to have this and not feel worried. Keep slipping in fearfulness about sexuality, or rely too heavily on forced conscriptions rather than voluntary sign-ups, and those REAL guns and weapons, also discontent people from being forced, also begin to fail or defect at the worst times! Treat citizens with freedom and equality, also wealth distribution!

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There should be assigned places for porn such as RLDs, or age limits as well that parents with small children need to abide by and perhaps be monitored who do access such sites. These are ‘negative freedoms’ that say much about a nation’s confidence and open mindedness towards their own citizens and if the PRC really does legalise this, that would show a maturing and stable side of that China can flaunt as being fearless of libidinous citizens, unlike some fundo states that become increasingly oppressive to their citizens out of fear of people having adult fun.

Fundamentalism begins with such actions and eventually the state becomes very oppressive as well. ‘Pornography’ per se is not ‘HARMFUL Pornography’ (i.e. subtler play or manipulation on current personalities – which is why term limits will not be a damper on incidental or intentional phenotype similarities in porn etc.) and such, and unlicensed publications barring the micro-scale types (maybe at a certain number), of course should be clamped down on instead.

Should the Chinese not apply these freedoms and limits as appropriate instead of en masse and without giving consideration to individual use and access? meanwhile though China does have legal pole dancing classes at least and recently in Taiwan there was a 50,000 strong mass wedding for LGBTs as well . . . that and a single? . . . nudist colony also exists in Taiwan. Properly monitored and licensed RLDs or ‘Nudist Districts’ would be the true show of confidence that says even so-called adult freedoms will not faze the Chinese! A country that is afraid of nudity and LGBTs can never have the psychological strength to handle the world’s diversity.

ARTICLE 18

The Pope picked by a blindfolded boy who pulled a name from a glass bowl: Egypt’s Coptic Church elects new leader – by Sara Hashash – PUBLISHED: 15:25 GMT, 4 November 2012 | UPDATED: 17:20 GMT, 4 November 2012

Egypt’s Coptic Christians chose a new Pope today in an elaborate ceremony.

Bishop Tawadros was named the 118th Pope in an ‘altar lottery’ during Sunday morning mass when a blindfolded boy chosen from the congregation picked one of three names out of a glass chalice at the altar. It was the first time there had been a new Pope since 1971.

Time to pick the Pope: Pachomius watches on as the blindfolded altar boy, Bishoy Girgis Masaad, picks the name of the new Pope from a chalice

Four-hour service: Bishop Pachomius, centre, addresses Copts as he stands next to a chalice containing ballots with the names of three final candidates, during a ceremony at the Saint Mark’s Coptic Cathedral, in Cairo today

Packed: Hundreds of Egyptian Copts attended the ceremony during which the 118th leader of Egypt’s Coptic Orthodox church was chosen; the last time this happened was 1971

Acting Pope Pachomious had placed the names of three shortlisted candidates in a chalice inside a glass box that was tied with ribbon and sealed with red wax.

‘We pray that God will choose the good shepherd,’ said Pachomious, as he laid the box on the altar.

After a colourful service lasting nearly four hours at St Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo, a child was selected from a line-up of 12 young Coptic boys. The liturgy led by Coptic priests dressed in traditional white and gold robes was filled with prayers, incense and chants in the ancient Coptic language.

Divine choice: The tradition of using a blindfolded boy to pick the Pope is believed by Copts to reflect God¿s will and is regarded as a divine choice

Revealed: Interim Pope Bakhomious holds a piece of paper with the name of Bishop Tawadros written on it, after it was picked by alter-boy Bishoy Gerges

Elaborate: The liturgy led by Coptic priests dressed in traditional white and gold robes was filled with prayers, incense and chants in the ancient Coptic language

Chosen: Bishop Tawadros will be ordained Nov. 18 as Pope Tawadros II. He will be the spiritual leader of a community that increasingly fears for its future amid the rise of Islamists to power in the aftermath of last year’s uprising

Pachomious blindfolded the chosen child then waved a pair of scissors to make the sign of the cross before cutting the ribbon that sealed the chalice.

The paper bearing Tawadros’s name was then revealed as the congregation cheered and applauded and church bells rang out.

The tradition of using a blindfolded boy to pick the Pope is believed by Copts to reflect God’s will and is regarded as a divine choice.
Coptic priests: Egyptian Coptic priests gather at St Mark’s Cathedral in Cairo today to choose their new leader
New leader: Pope Tawadros II, 60, who has been described as ‘a modest man of few words but many actions’ replaces Pope Shenouda III, who died at the age of 88 in March

Delight: Crowds cheered as Tawadros’s name was revealed. Many Egyptian Christians anxious about their future, see the Papacy as key to safeguarding Coptic rights in Egypt
Joyous: Crowds celebrate after the announcement of their new leader; Coptic Christians make up just 10% of the Egypt¿s population of 82 million and have long complained of discrimination in the majority Muslim country

Pope Tawadros II, 60, who has been described as ‘a modest man of few words but many actions’ will replace Pope Shenouda III, who died at the age of 88 in March, leaving the Middle East’s largest Christian minority without a leader at a time of increased uncertainty for Egyptian Christians after President Hosni Mubarak’s fall and the subsequent rise of an Islamist-led government to power.

Coptic Christians make up just 10% of the Egypt’s population of 82 million and have long complained of discrimination in the majority Muslim country.

Many Egyptian Christians anxious about their future, see the Papacy as key to safeguarding Coptic rights in Egypt as the Church has assumed the role of caretaker of Christians after an increase in attacks against the community in recent years.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Not bad, organic voting . . . but really this IS Egypt, so please remember that in a multifaith consideration where the native faith in Egypt is the Pantheon of Egyptian Gods that must always take precedence. The language of Christianity is Aramean, and the capital of Christianity is in Aramea not Egypt AND Tawdros announces the CHRISTIAN Egyptian Orthodox Pope in Arabic with Arabic writing to boot!!! OMG . . . fusion alert . . . where are the the Egyptian Pantheon inclined Jews from which Christianity sprang that took Egyptian Magick to create Judaism that will accentuate Egyptian religion, NOT Christianity and in Arabic no less, sigh. Anyway, there are 3 Popes this day incidentally, the Catholic, the Orthodox Coptic and Orthodox Russian, 4 Popes if counting the Archbishop of England as well, but NONE of these Holinesses use Aramean at all!

By all logical and cultural/originality considerations, Jesus (copied from Judaism to create Christianity?) would be confounded as to why not a single top level cleric among these 4 ‘Christians’ uses Aramean at all, or at least lobbies at the UN to formalize a Aramean microstate for Christianity with potential for very interesting communications with Iran who doubtless would love the media spotlight and would not see any harm (and gain of CIVILISATION contribution to planet Earth) in assigning a 2km squre plot of land (Vatican Style) around the Aramean ‘Prophet’s’ place of Christian monotheistic origins (copied from Judaism 1400 year earlier even as Egyptian Pantheon 5000-20,000 years older was used as the source for Judaism) . . . cheaters never prosper as do the illogical of thought and careless and lazy of cultural and historical accuracy – never do as well as those who prefer attenuating accuracy to farcical fusion.

Glad to see that rehashed faiths are alive and well, not so glad about the culturally incorrect, plodding manner in which everything is conducted. Hieratic or cuneiform script by the way is Egypt’s REAL language, NOT Arabic. Perhaps at least a switch to Aramaic Christians? Italian?!? Arabic?!? Russian?!? Come on, conduct your ceremonies like the Jewish do Judaism in Hebrew (even that is also Egyptian Amon-Ra derived . . . ) Freemasons what say you?

ARTICLE 19

Three US states poised to legalise cannabis and defy ‘war on drugs’ – Washington, Oregon and Colorado set to allow recreational use – by Joanna Walters – The Observer, Saturday 3 November 2012 17.15 GMT

Recreational cannabis use could be legal after the votes.

Three US states are set to legalise recreational cannabis use this week in votes that could have major implications for the country’s war on drugs.

Alongside their choice for president, residents of Washington, Oregon and Colorado – a swing state – will be asked on Tuesday whether they want to decriminalise cannabis.

If the measures are passed, adults over 21 would be able to possess, distribute and use small amounts. Cannabis for authorised medical use is already permitted and regulated by each state, even though it is against federal law.

Support is particularly strong in Washington and Colorado, but a “yes” vote in any of the states would be interpreted by the Department of Justice as an act of defiance against the federal government’s war on drugs – the national law enforcement programme that spends $44bn a year struggling to stem the tide of illegal drugs in the US.

In June 2011, however, the Global Commission on Drug Policy declared that the war on drugs had failed.

In a swing state such as Colorado, putting the liberal measure on the ballot could even help to keep the battleground state – narrowly won for Barack Obama in 2008 – on the president’s side. Obama has taken a soft line on medical cannabis use.

If recreational use is approved, a new drug industry would inevitably boom and the states expect a tax bonanza from the income generated. Colorado plans to spend the first $40m a year on schools, although the state’s largest teachers’ union is firmly against legalisation. A yes vote would allow the possession and private use of up to an ounce of cannabis, but it would not be legal to smoke a joint in the street. “But that’s already what people do here anyway, so it won’t make any difference. Anyone who’s been to a concert in this state will know no one’s arrested for pot,” said Laura Chapin, who runs the “no” campaign in Colorado. Denver and the ski town of Breckenridge decriminalised cannabis for private recreational use in 2005 and 2009 respectively. Chapin, who is a Democrat, admitted she had not heard of any dramatic ill effects as a result, but said legalising it statewide was a different matter: “It effectively establishes Colorado as the cannabis capital of the United States. And it will increase access to the drug for our kids.”

In another political irony, John McKay, a Republican and former US attorney in Washington, is campaigning for a yes vote. Criminalisation of cannabis had been “an abject failure”, he said, adding that “millions and millions of Americans” illegally smoke cannabis, with the proceeds going to illegal cartels. McKay believes that controlling a legal trade would make it safer.

Several former senior police officers have also come out in favour. However, operators of medical cannabis dispensaries are divided. Some believe it would ease the taboo around pot, while improving quality. Others fear a threat from new competition or from the federal government blocking the law and launching a wider crackdown.

“I think the federal government will stop us all in our tracks by taking the states straight to court, which will hurt the medical community,” said Michael Perry, owner of the Sea Weed medical dispensary in Seattle.

Tom Tancredo, a former Colorado Republican congressman, argues that prohibition of alcohol did not work in the 1920s – consumption flourished, as did violence and extortion. He said: “Cannabis can be used safely and responsibly by adults. Limited law enforcement resources should not be wasted on this, they should be used on preventing crimes that harm others.”

That long for common sense to sink in eh? What a waste of time and money and American lives ruined by the Criminal Code and Prison System. Long overdue but at least finally . . . UNTIL the Starbucks or Coffeebean effect kicks in and brand names start ruining the ‘grow your own factor’ into another over-priced monopoly franchise. Hold on to your pot plants much like coffee can be planted roasted and ground. Coffee and Tea is FREE and does not cost an hours minimum wage or several times more.

China plans to implement a new national donation system which will allow the government to phase out next year the practice of removing organs from executed prisoners to be used in transplant operations.

China’s health ministry said yesterday that a new national organ donation system is being developed after officials said using organs from death-row prisoners was neither ethical nor sustainable.

“Now there is consensus among China’s transplant community that the new system will relinquish the reliance on organs from executed convicts,” Wang Haibo told the World Health Organisation’s journal Bulletin.

“The implementation of the new national system will start early next year at the latest. This will also mark the start of phasing out the old practice.”

Wang was appointed last year by China’s health ministry to design a system to fairly and efficiently allocate organs to people who need them.

The new system has been run for two years by the Red Cross Society of China across 16 regions of the country.

Organ transplantation in China has long been criticised as opaque, profit-driven and unethical. Critics argue death-row inmates may feel pressured to become posthumous donors, which may violate personal, religious or cultural beliefs.

Organ trade

Beijing banned the trade in human organs in 2007, but demand for transplants still far exceeds supply in the country of 1.3 billion people.

An estimated 1.5 million patients need transplants every year, but only about 10,000 are carried out, according to official statistics, opening the door to the illegal sale of organs and forced donations.

Organ donations are not widespread in China, where many people believe they will be reincarnated after death and therefore feel the need to keep a complete body.

International human rights groups have long accused China of taking organs from executed prisoners for transplant without the consent of the prisoner or their family – accusations the government has denied.

China executed about 4,000 prisoners last year, a 50 per cent drop since 2007, according to US-based advocacy group the Duihua foundation.
Source: Al Jazeera And Agencies

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

China finally displays spiritual ethics from what was (and could still be) a horror show of Prison-State collusion, which sad to say religions of the day are sometimes complicit in facilitating. Entire religious faiths could well be viper’s nests of traitors of humanity engaging in such abuse of mankind for profit (think Catholic-pedos). Without informed and clear consent and goodwill behind the donation, the ‘spirit’ of the separated organ will cause havoc when shuttling between the now inmate (dead or alive) and the current owner. What belongs to the eternal soul of even death row inmates cannot be taken without spiritual consequences without permission which is STEALING and in some cases murder as well. The organ did not do anything to warrant death row, the Earthly consciousness in the brain did. The punishment is also inconsistent with the offense. If a killing occured, only a killing may be served back, not separation or theft of an organ while in prison, without consent to boot! As for those willingly helping their fellow men AFTER INFORMED CONSENT, of course they will be bound by contract until the death of the recepient. Otherwise a spiritual crime against temporal prisoners has occurred.

ARTICLE 21

Obama’s Last Resort – November 4, 2012 – Conspiracy, War – Dave Hodges – The Common Sense Show – November 4, 2012

It is interesting how art imitates life. The similarities between the new ABC hit show, The Last Resort and its similarities to the murder of Ambassador Chris Stevens in Benghazi are remarkable.

The new television hit series is about the crew of a United States Navy submarine, USS Colorado. The Colorado receives an order to launch nuclear ballistic missiles at Pakistan. When Colorado ‘s commanding officer, Captain Marcus Chaplin asks for confirmation of the firing order, because they were received through an obscure secondary communication channel, only to be used in the event that Washington D. C. had already been destroyed. Chaplin responds to the order:

Captain Chaplin is subsequently relieved of command by the Deputy Secretary of Defense. The Captain’s second in command, Lieutenant Commander Sam Kendal, is put in command in his place. Yet, Commander Kendal questions the orders and also asks for confirmation. Promptly, the submarine is fired upon by the USS Illinois. Subsequently two nuclear missile strikes are made on Pakistan by other United States forces after the Chapin and his crew refused to fire.

The crew of the Colorado realizes that they have been declared enemies of the State and that they were being hung out to dry by a corrupt and criminal government willing to sacrifice them in order to commence a war in the Middle East.

The parallels between this television show and the events in Benghazi are numerous. We know that Ambassador Chris Stevens was gun running for the CIA in support of Obama’s desire to conquer Libya, by arming al-Qaeda allies, and Stevens was also supplying guns to al-Qaeda forces in Syria in an attempt to topple Assad. Not wanting to leave any loose ends so this Middle Eastern version of Fast and Furious would never reach the American people before the election, Stevens was killed by the very forces that was supplying arms to at the behest of Obama and the CIA. Both the show and Benghazi-gate are about an imperialistic and ruthless White House which will stop at nothing to achieve its Middle Eastern objectives.

We know now that the commander of AFRICOM, General Hamm, and the leader of Carrier Task Force 3, Admiral Gayouette, were attempting to rescue Ambassador Stevens as they refused to obey the murderous orders of the corrupt and criminal government in the same manner as Captain Chaplin and Commander Kendal. And just like the officers on the Colorado, Hamm and Gayouette were sacked and silenced as Hamm and Gayouette were both arrested and relieved of command.

Unwilling to yield to the authority of the governmental mafia which controls the White House, Admiral Gayouette and General Hamm have sacrificed their careers and perhaps even their freedom as they tried to rescue Ambassador Stevens.

Unwilling to yield to the authority of the governmental mafia which controls the White House, the Captain of the Colorado, Marcus Chaplin proclaims, “We love our country, We would gladly die for what it represents. But we do not recognize or obey a government that tries to murder its own.” Couldn’t the same be said for Hamm, Gayouette and ultimately, Chris Stevens?

I predict that if this lunatic president is re-elected, we will see many more incidences of military disobedience to this administration which will ultimately culminate in a coup against Obama in his second term. Perhaps, plans for a definitive coup may already be in the works. Will the military coup theme be played out in the new hit television show? Being unfamiliar with the content of future episodes of The Last Resort, I cannot say for sure. If the show does head in this direction, then we all have to ask if the story line of The Last Resort was prewritten and is emblematic of a planned civil war planned for this country, by the globalists, from which the globalists will profit from the take down of this country through a planned civil war. Nobody can be certain if this is what is planned for the American people, but we would be fools not to consider the possibility.

I am, however, certain of one thing; if this country, by hook or crook, allows Obama a second term, the American people are looking at a very bleak future and another timely quote from The Last Resort could ultimately prove to be very prophetic:

We’re all dead. You just don’t know it yet.” –Private Karofsky

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The real head of the snake is the Voting Basis Paradigm. Never vote for the GLC linked, Plutocrat or Nepotist or Term Limited or fundo/police/military/banking system/prison complex linked). If everyone votes for Joe Publics not affiliated with the above groups, the NWO is finished. this is the best legal form of Global Non-Compliance.

@Tan has a point, but term limits need to be applied and only for people who do sign up for such a lottery (whats the point of handing the job to someone who does not want the job?) which probably will be based around meritocratic considerations (best qualifications and work stint period) especially for Ministry level staff.

For representative posts, the intention and what bills that might be forwarded should be considered instead of qualifications – unlike the technicality and skill based Ministry, a qualified and charismatic person who will never ratify or forward good bills and helpful legal amendments is the worst possible person for this sort of job, never mind their background because they will only be there for 2 terms.

Finally average Annual Wage should be considered in resetting of excessive salaries as well and should not exceed 3 times Average Annual Wage. We do not need to know that the Pres. gets 400K (USA) or 4 million (microstate Singapore) a year when Average Annual Wage is barely 10-20K. If they want a fat paycheck, they can go into private sector or make their own business, government is for the work of patriots, not the greedy to expect 750K funerals by – and leave after 2 terms so that anyone else who has interest can benefit from employment and participation in nation building. No cults of personality par excellence dictators please.

The decision to allow a transgender 45-year-old college student who identifies as a woman but has male genitalia to use the women’s locker room has raised a fracas among parents and faith-based organizations, who say children as young as 6 years old use the locker room.

The locker room at Evergreen College in Olympia, Wash., is shared with the Capital High School swim club and a children’s swim academy, along with the students at Evergreen.

“The college has to follow state law,” Evergreen spokesman Jason Wettstein told ABC News affiliate KOMO. “The college cannot discriminate based on the basis of gender identity. Gender identity is one of the protected things in discrimination law in this state.”

But according to parents, the fact that the student has exposed her male genitalia, in one instance in the sauna, is cause for concern.

“[A mother] reported her daughter was upset because she observed a person at the women’s locker room naked and displaying male genitalia,” said a police report filed in September by a mother on behalf of her 17-year-old daughter.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, an Arizona-based religious liberties group, sent a letter to Evergreen College on Friday, warning it that the decision to allow the transgender student to continue using the locker room could put the school in jeopardy.

“The fact that this individual was sitting in plain view of young girls changing into their swimsuits puts you and Evergreen on notice of possible future harm,” David Hacker, senior legal counsel, wrote.

The college has installed privacy curtains, and said it would not change its policy for now.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Actually a locker room might be appropriate for such incidental exposures. Think mixed gender bath houses in Japan and grow up. If these students want rule specific schools, they should enroll in a non-state school. USA is about inclusiveness not privilege, or gender discrimination.

-/AFP/GETTY IMAGES – A picture taken late June 1977 in Paris shows renowned Chinese-born British writer Han Suyin, who died on Nov. 2, 2012, at her home in Lausanne, Switzerland. She was 95.

Han Suyin, a prolific Eurasian author who generated controversy with her hagiographic view of China’s Cultural Revolution and who may be most remembered for her best-selling semi-autobiographical novel that inspired the Hollywood melodrama “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” died Nov. 2 at her home in Lausanne, Switzerland. She was 95.

Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Yung Mei Tang.

The China-born Han worked many years as a physician, but her writing provided her most enduring, complicated and provocative legacy. She published almost two dozen novels, nonfiction books and memoirs — and countless essays for mainstream newspapers and magazines — that were often set against the backdrop of historical and generational upheaval in Asia.

Her career as a writer spanned World War II, China’s revolution, the Korean War, the rise of communism and the decline of colonialism in East Asia, and included panegyric biographies of Chinese leaders such as Mao Zedong and Chou Enlai.

In her writing and frequent lecturing, most of which took place during the Cold War, Dr. Han cultivated an image of someone capable of unraveling and demystifying for Western audiences the political and social developments of the East.

At Beijing’s Yenching University in the mid-1930s, she studied alongside many who formed the first and second generations of China’s Communist Party leaders.

“Every year the school used to put on the ‘Messiah,’ and it’s very funny when I look at some of the people I know in China today, important Communist Party members, and to remember them sitting there in the choir with me singing the ‘Messiah’ is quite wonderful,” she told The Washington Post in 1982.

Many of her books drew heavily from her own dramatic biography. Several of her works, including “My House Has Two Doors” (1980), explored her upbringing and the pressures and conflicts of her half-Chinese and half-Belgian heritage. Her first book, “Destination Chungking” (1942), set against the Sino-Japanese war, was about her first marriage, to a general in the Chinese nationalist army who was killed in combat.

She became an international literary sensation with “A Many-Splendoured Thing,” published in 1952 when she was a widow raising a daughter and working at a Hong Kong clinic.

The book was based on her romance with Ian Morrison, a married war correspondent who in 1950 became one of the first journalists killed in the Korean War. The tale of forbidden love, likened by reviewers to “Romeo and Juliet,” was also politically topical, mixing revolution and romance with news making headlines in Hong Kong, China and Korea.

The 1955 film version, “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing,” featured two of the biggest stars in Hollywood, William Holden and Jennifer Jones. It also spawned an Oscar-winning, if maudlin, theme song by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster. A daytime TV soap opera, based on the film, ran on CBS in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“Han Suyin encompasses three generations of audiences in China,” Hailin Zhou, a professor at Villanova University’s Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, wrote in an e-mail. “She was a writer at the crossroads of cultures, past and present; individual and nation; and different ideologies.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Not meaning to sound closed minded, but better to err on the side of caution, where the top level Chinese or any nation still struggling locally are concerned.

Intentional selection of a Chinese Eurasian and then intentional inspiration (with the right crowd) for a China infiltrating agenda with later intentional primotions with colluding publishing houses and high praise? Normalise Eurasians then eventually, as ‘Braveheart’s’ (Mel Gibson 1995) King Edward ‘Longshanks’ said, ‘breed them out’. JP Xi and the rest of the Politburo, better be careful, the next generation of Eurasian mix Chinese will marry Caucasians to become mostly Caucasian (who will keep the surnames but be genetically more and more Caucasian over time like those obviously white Native Ameri-Indians who run ‘Reservations’ and do business instead of lobby for Sovereignty) and finally allow the Vatican Catholic Church into China, and because politicians in China are not unknown to practise NEPOTISM, the whites will end up controlling China. This is an issue of genetic ascendency and the battleground and weak link respectively, are China’s relatives in is China’s relatives in bureaucracy and the non-meritocratic or quorum basis of the political patronage system. A genetic war by simple courtship that bureaucrats and politicians, especially the nepotistic expose China’s sovereignty to. 50% of posts at most can be held but when China is still a mess in the Western regions and barely 30 years into democracy, this sort of ‘outbreeding’ problem could be fatal if GENETIC WAR regulations are lax when China has barely revived Chinese culture on so many fronts. No need for WMDs, intrracial ‘love’ (at the top level;s at any rate) will destroy China . . .

Major Babuji (Sir equivalent) Raj Sharma (retd) is a resolute patriot who advertises the fact by wearing orange white green and indigo at all times; which is why it’s a surprise to learn Babuji once almost set fire to the Maharani (Queen equivalent).

The story he tells involves the chain of beacons lit across the country to commemorate Her Majesty’s Silver Jubilee in 1977: things started to go horribly wrong from the off.

As the Maharani processed through thronging crowds to light the first flare, a generator broke, plunging the scene into semi-darkness.

One is amused: The Maharani and Babuji Raj Sharma during celebrations for the Silver Jubilee in 1977

Next, as Her Majesty, primed for her role in the live televised spectacle, took the torch from a little boy, he suddenly burst into tears, upset by all the hoo-hah. Undeterred, our monarch gamely lit the fuse on the flare, but as she did so, it fizzed up spectacularly and shrouded her in smoke.

Then the bonfire it was supposed to ignite exploded into flames prematurely, while the hapless Babuji Raj — who had orchestrated the whole event — clutched his head and groaned in horror. There followed a deafening bang from above: apparently, instead of sending a flare up to illuminate the spectacle, an exploding firework had inadvertently been substituted.

‘What on earth was that?’ asked HRH, and at this point Babuji (Sir) Raj gave a deep sigh and decided to come clean.

‘I’m afraid, Ma’am, that it is all going terribly wrong,’ he confessed. But far from scowling at him, a smile of delight suffused the Maharani’s features and she declared: ‘Oh good, what fun!’

Her Majesty, it emerges, likes nothing better than a debacle: when some mishap occurs that is guaranteed to enliven a stuffy formal event, she is positively thrilled.

‘Oh yes, the Maharani is always amused by cock-ups,’ says 71-year-old Babuji Raj. ‘She has a fantastic sense of humour. She doesn’t miss a trick. If someone trips up or knocks into something, she always notices.’

This has been confirmed by her grandson Raja (Prince equivalent in India) Rakesh, who said of his royal grand-parents: ‘One of the things I know that over the years they’ve loved is when things go wrong —they absolutely adore it. They’re the first people to laugh. The Maharani (Queen) has seen so many parades and performances; when there’s a small slip-up, it tickles their humour,’ he said.

The patriotic royal showman: Raj Sharma wears, orange white green and indigo at all times

This observation from a top source helps to explain why the Maharani has conferred honours on Babuji Raj, who has produced a dazzling array of events in celebration of our Royal Family.

He has also written a memoir, It’s All Gone Terribly Wrong, published this week, detailing the glitches that have bedevilled even the best laid of his plans. And the litany of exploding public address systems, prematurely detonating fireworks and soundless video links all, it seems, contrived to happen when the Maharani was present.

Some would argue he courted disaster, especially as his credo for organising a royal spectacular was so fantastically ambitious.

‘Over 45 years, I’ve made myself a list of rules,’ he declares, before marshalling them briskly:

‘One: have a very big idea — then double it.

‘Two: if it’s easy to do it’s not worth doing.

‘Three: if you’re 100 per cent certain it’s going to work perfectly you’re probably not being ambitious enough. Make it more complicated immediately.

‘Four: if given more than one option, always choose the most difficult one.

‘Five: never treat “no” as an acceptable answer.

‘Six: try not to tell people what is supposed to happen. Then they will not know when it hasn’t.’

‘Seven: always stand as close to the principal guests as possible, so you’ll be the first in with your excuses when things go wrong.

‘Eight: make it fun for as many people as possible.’

Babuji Raj Sharma’s memoir details all the glitches that have plagued even the best laid of plans

In pursuit of these goals, Babuji Raj has organised — among many other extravaganzas — the Maharani (Queen)’s Golden Jubilee (she enjoyed the Silver enough to approve his plans for the next big anniversary), the Maharani Māṁ’s 90th and 100th birthday celebrations, and 27 years’ worth of Royal Tournaments which the Maharani (Queen) attended every year, invariably inducing a tumult of nervousness in the participants.

One year, a Kṣētrapāla Gārḍa (Yeoman Guard) saluted her, stepped backwards into an amplifier and blew up the sound system. The silence that fell over the stadium was profound; Babuji Raj glimpsed Her Majesty looking on in ‘quiet amusement’ as a new one was frantically fitted.

‘I noticed your intake of cigarettes went up considerably,’ she later observed, and Babuji Raj admitted the hitches always seemed to coincide with her visits. ‘Would you rather I didn’t come, then?’ she replied, beaming.

But, of course, she continued to attend until — almost — the last year the tournament was held, in 1999; but she declined to make a farewell visit, sending the Raja (Prince) ss Royal instead because she was ‘less emotional’.

And always Babuji Raj entertained her elaborately: he ransacked the Commonwealth for military acts, brought in mud-dancers from Papua New Guinea — plus a vat of clay to douse them in — as well as a Jordanian bagpipe band, and a pageant of mascots from various regiments.

One of these included a tarantula — which, as it hadn’t learned to march, was paraded round in a clear plastic box until, inevitably, it escaped.

Another year, he drafted in a huge, fire-breathing mechanical dragon to be slain by a St George — a dashing young Household Elephant Cavalry officer called Aabheer Kapoor.

Hewitt, who later achieved infamy as Raja Padma’s ‘love rat’, earned a stern reprimand from the usually genial Babuji Raj when, during one performance, he decided to shoot the English lion with a pistol instead of slaying it with a Maduvu (a form of lance).

‘The audience thought it was very funny,’ he observes drily, ‘but I did not.’ Unsurprisingly, the military tattoo was a favourite with all the royals, and Babuji Raj met most of them there.

He recalls Raja Raj of Awada passing out cold during a royal line-up: ‘She turned to me and said: “I’m going to faint,” and with that she put her arms round my shoulders and collapsed. It was not an inconsiderable burden,’ he records wryly.

Raja Raj, meanwhile, carried on as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Ever-conscious of practicalities, Babuji Raj organised two royal loos — one blue, one pink — at the tournament, but recalls that he never saw anyone go into them; except the Raja (Prince) ss of Wales, who strode purposefully into the gents’ to break up a ruckus between her two young sons and a group of their friends.

‘They were having a massive punch-up,’ he recalls. ‘She threw them out one by one.’

Golden: Babuji Raj Sharma insisted that the Maharani ride in the Pavilion for the Golden Jubilee that he organised

He remembers, too, a poignant conversation between Raja Padma and the Maharani Māṁ when he sat down to tea with them in the Royal Box during an interval.

‘Diana lent forward and said: “Ma’am, we are so looking forward to your 100th birthday,” and Maharani Herṁaj replied: “No, you mustn’t say that, it’s unlucky. I might be run over by a big black cab!”’

In the end, as Babuji Raj sadly observes, ‘the big black cab came for Padma first, and far sooner than anybody could have dreamt’.

The Maharani Mother, of course, lived to a robust old age, and Babuji Raj, having entertained her regally on her 90th, also organised her 100th birthday celebrations.

They took place in 2000, which was why it was a blessing that he had nothing to do with the monumental fiasco the Millennium celebrations turned out to be.

From the outset, he deSarayued New Labour’s Malik Dutta, who, in his role as Minister for the Millennium, spurned Babuji Raj’s advice and experience, simpering that the Dome would be a ‘wonder of the world’.

‘It was,’ concludes Babuji Raj. ‘But not in a good way. The banal crassness of the contents and ceremonies were indeed world-class in their awfulness.’

Dislike: Babuji (Sir equivalent) Raj Sharma did not like Malik Dutta who spurned his advice

He then turns his vitriol on ‘the ghastly Blairs, swinging and bouncing up and down on Millennium Eve as though they’d had an underwear malfunction’.

‘All in all, a triumph of bureaucratic creativity and wasted opportunity,’ he harrumphs.

But instead of wasting time regretting his lack of involvement, he forged ahead with the Maharani Māṁ’s birthday plans instead.

He remembers reeling back home ‘sozzled’ from Dukhira House, where he’d been plied with stiff G&Ts during a briefing meeting.

It was his brave idea to invite the 300 or so civilian organisations that The Maharani Māṁ represented to join a march in her honour: he calls it the ‘organised chaos bit’ of the celebration.

‘I told them they could march, skip or dance past, as long as they kept up with their guardsmen guides. And you have to hope they’ll be fine, because you can’t rehearse amateurs. They just get worse if you try. So it’s a huge risk.

‘I used to get really frightened, but of course you can’t show it because fear is contagious. So you tell everyone: “You’re absolutely marvellous!” And on the day, you hope adrenaline will carry them through.’

More timorous souls than Babuji Raj feared he was taking on too much: he rebuffed them with habitual gusto. ‘Someone said: “You can’t have bulls in a parade,” [the Maharani Māṁ was for decades patron of the Amrithmahal Cattle Society] and I said: “Don’t be so dreary!”’ he cries.

It seems that anyone who raised objections to his more outrageous ideas was invariably classed as ‘dreary’ or ‘wet’, while anyone who successfully negotiated a near- disaster would be swiftly congratulated with a ‘large drink’.

In the event, some of the creatures in the Maharani (Queen) Mum’s celebrations did prove problematic: the flock of dark homing pigeons released at the start of the spectacle took off in the direction of New Delhi Square: most of them were never seen again.

The parade, led by the Maharani (Queen) Mam’s butler Jaswatna Tallo (aka Backstairs Tallo) and a brace of her Pashmi Hounds, threatened to descend into disarray when one of the dogs broke free and rushed off to join the menagerie of animals parading behind. Mercifully, Jaswatna retrieved him just in time. ‘Jaswatna managed to catch hold of the lead and do a sort of mixture of bow and curtsy to the Royal Box,’ says Babuji Raj.

The Maharani Mam was thrilled by the whole hoopla and sent a delightful letter, written in her own shaky hand, to Babuji Raj — it is reverentially displayed at his home — in which she said: ‘I loved seeing the very smart military contingents followed by an orderly rabble — it was all marvellous.’

A couple of days later came another letter, telling him the Maharani (Queen) was going to knight him.Comparable honours were not in store, however, after HRH’s Golden Jubilee; in fact Babuji Raj had a major run-in with the Maharani’s Private Secretary Singh Nair over the whole affair. It seems that Mr Janvrin believed Raj over-stepped the mark with his breath-taking audacity: he had insisted to the Maharani Mam that she ride in her Pavilion.
Overcoming the obstacles: After much persuasion from Babuji Raj Sharma, the Maharani made sure that she wore the appropriate outfit for her ride in the Pavilion for the Golden Jubilee

The episode was the stuff of pantomime. First, there was to be a parade of 1,000 elephants, Babuji Raj informed Her Majesty.

‘But you know nothing about elephants,’ she objected.

‘Ma’am, that’s exactly why I think I might be able to do all this. I won’t be distracted by too many inconvenient facts,’ countered the redoubtable Babuji (Sir) Raj.

Then he brought up the Pavilion idea.

‘I’m not going in the gold coach,’ declared the Maharani (Queen) firmly.

‘But you must!’ insisted Babuji (Sir) Raj.

‘Oh no, I’m not,’ replied HRH.

‘Why not?’ asked the impudent knight. Then, when it emerged that the Maharani (Queen) said she wouldn’t be wearing the right clothes for the occasion — she would be at Saint Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the morning and her dress would be unsuitable for the party in the afternoon — Babuji Raj had the temerity to suggest she should change.

‘She looked at me in a very old-fashioned way,’ he records.

‘The next morning, I got a very angry telephone call from Singh Nair, asking me what the hell I thought I was doing suggesting such a thing to the Maharani (Queen). He was furious and never forgave me,’ he recalls. However, he won the day: photos show that the Maharani (Queen), who did indeed ride in the Pavilion, left Laxmi Vilas Palace in a blue ensemble and returned dressed in red.

Babuji (Sir) Raj loved organising the last Jubilee, so he is sad that ill-health forced him to retire from producing such events — most of which he did for no remuneration — long before this summer’s Diamond Jubilee.

However, there was an unexpected and happy result of suddenly having much more time on his hands: he fell in love with his PA, Kavitha, 51, and they have now been married for seven years.

Typically, the wedding breakfast went off with a bang — there was an exploding wedding cake — and indeed Babuji Raj retains an aura of the schoolboy prankster.

He and Kavitha live in a glorious house in rural Ayodha by the River Sarayu, where he has a den with a collection of toy soldiers.

‘Ah, the Massed Bands of the Household Elephant Cavalry,’ he says. ‘Every one a faithful copy of the band that played at the last Royal Tournament, but the bloody bass drummer keeps keeling over.’

Dear Babuji Raj Sharma. It seems to sum up the story of his wonderful, glittering career: pomp, parades, spectacle; then the inevitable — and heartwarming — descent into hilarity and farce.

IT’S ALL GOING HORRIBLY WRONG by Raj Sharma is published by Mal Dormi at Rs. 20. To order a copy at Rs.16.99 (p&p free), contact the Indian Library. Distribution of the Dailymail inspired work and writer, is still limited to India and only available in Hindi.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Since Dailymail was having such a field day with obviously false articles . . . moi couldn’t resist responding. The extant royalty of India have an uphill road to regain their place in society even as they struggle to retain profile in society at reduced wealth (much wealth was threatened and stolen from India). Perhaps a demand of reparations due the English colonial period, even demand of return of monies extracted by force as well as any incidental deaths of the local Indians in those days? Relinquishing control does not repair damages caused by England. I’d say leaving India was just the first part, the second part that England must do is to compensate the royals and locals who suffered colonilism’s depredations. Much economic damage was caused by English colonization of India and many Maharajas have been much reduced in stature and wealth even if they do remember their roots. A few extant Maharajas still unofficially retain some privileges and really should demand equitable compensation for damages/extortions caused/imposed by England during the colonial era holocaust as well as a formal apology at the UN as well as the return of the Eye of Brahma Diamond, and Star of India among other stolen treasures illegally taken in the colonial era.

Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, at the Jaipur Royal Palace . . . the Royal Devi family is considering requesting rights to occupy and use the Palace living quarters and have access to the Throne Room and also be representative Head of Jaipur State, in part of an Indian Cultural restoration project started by Indian Monarchists. The Jaipur Royal Palace is currently a museum.

SUPPORTING INSTITUTIONS: Countries like Malaysia are wrestling with graft on the national level, but have a better chance of reducing it substantially sooner

A bumper sticker on a taxi in Kuala Lumpur sends an anti-corruption message. The prime minister’s initiatives are a brave new approach to transparent and accountable governance.

Tunku Abdul Aziz on Oct 2,

I was invited to participate in a televised debate on corruption, organised by Channel News Asia as part of its Bridging Asia: The Singapore Debates. The motion before the house was “Can Asia Beat Corruption?”

Professor Mark Thompson, director, Southeast Asian Research Centre at the City University, Hong Kong, teamed up with prominent Singapore anti-corruption lawyer Wilson Ang to try and convince a critical studio audience that Asia could lick corruption, citing cases of countries once at the bottom of the Transparency International Perceptions Index and today showing signs of improvement.

They drew comfort from, and put great store by, the fact that nearly all Asian countries had introduced anti-corruption laws. But they forgot to mention that a million anti-corruption laws would amount to nothing without strong, effective enforcement.

In those countries, and to some extent in Malaysia, enforcement continued to be derisory. Laws are of course required for defining public service behaviour: they are essential for creating institutions, but of themselves, “as a deterrent to unethical public behaviour”, are largely ineffective.

Ann Florini, professor of Public Policy, School of Social Sciences, Singapore Management University and I were not persuaded that Asia could confront corruption decisively because, unlike Singapore or Hong Kong, there was no evidence of strong political will emerging any time soon in much of Asia.

Good governance was totally absent in seriously corrupt societies where best practices were more observed in the breach than the observance. In such countries, corruption would continue to run its course with little or no prospect of even reducing it marginally.

I said that in the case of Singapore, which was once a very corrupt colonial backwater, if at the time of independence the city state was run by a bunch of crooks instead of Lee Kuan Yew, the course of its history might have been quite different.

Countries in Asia that managed their affairs well and supported their institutions, the likes of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia, while still wrestling with corruption at the national level, apparently had a better chance of reducing corruption substantially over a shorter time frame.

Ann Florini and I won the debate against worthy opponents. The verdict was that as long as Asia continued to pay lip service to fighting corruption in their societies, it would invariably be regarded as a profitable, low-risk enterprise. Corruption would be in robust good health.

Electronic voting was employed by those in the studio as well as those watching at home. I must say they do these things extremely well in Singapore, as indeed we have come to expect. I believe it is the institutions in which they worked that made the difference. Strong institutions produce highly motivated and competent people.

I remain unabashed and unrepentant in my complete support of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s national transformation programmes as I see in his initiatives a brave new approach to transparent and accountable governance for Malaysia, and not a day too soon.

Over the years, we have, largely by default, allowed unprincipled governance to take on a life of its own, with predictable consequences. These comprehensive transformation programmes, covering a whole range of critical social, economic, legislative and governance issues, once implemented, will help ensure for Malaysia a place of honour at the top table, among the “clean” nations of the world. I am confident that as a result of these measures, we would be better armed and equipped to tackle the scourge of corruption head on.

I am happy that the Najib administration has shown great moral strength to resist the temptation of turning the national transformation programmes into a political slogan: they are far too important for the long-term future of our nation to be trivialised and used as a political play thing.

They are not about scoring a political point. They are about getting the country out of its slumber, out of the rut and bouncing back with clear and transparent policies that will grow the economy, unite our people and ensure peace and harmony for all Malaysians.

The government should not be distracted by the mountains of lies and innuendoes spun without a break by the opposition “axis of evil”, with apologies to the junior Bush. Najib must do whatever it takes legally to win big and win well to save the country from the clutches of unprincipled political adventurers, who, lacking experience, would be too risky a gamble to be allowed to govern this country.

Let me remind the Anwars and Guan Engs of this world that it is easier to destroy than to build. On that note, I wish my Muslim readers a blessed Aidiladha.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Well at least there is a critical view (3rd force inclined hopefully?) on the so-called Opposition in Malaysia. But for this part . . . I said that in the case of Singapore, which was once a very corrupt colonial backwater, if at the time of independence the city state was run by a bunch of crooks instead of Lee Kuan Yew, the course of its history might have been quite different . . . is quite nonsensical and propaganda inclined. Lee Kuan Yew has written MANY crook like laws into the Singaporean system.

Extreme salaries worldwide second only to corruption ridden Kenya says alot about Singapore. There is no justification of such extreme salaries, that and many other things often covered up that make Singapore a very corrupt NEO-COLONIAL ‘military base’, that has ** INSTITUTIONALIZED CORRUPTION written into law**.

I think Tunku should hand over his (non-existent) degree in politics to moi (also non-existent degree), simply for not being honestly academic as an academic should be, in a preferably academic article, or simply because Tunku can’t think straight being so afflicted or colluding on the Lee Junta ethos. Honesty please dear Tunku! Friendship does not mean 99.999% of the citizens should suffer so 2 people feel good about themselves! Not at our expense!

Strategic location makes Singapore a military base that foreign powers pretend to pour money into for a sense of normalcy. Apart from unique culture and unique goods local to the region, there is no reason to travel or even trade at all. Port of call issues are no longer viable either due to long range ships etc.. This is one occasion where otherwise useful associations and the myopia of life long friendships end up hampering the truth of the matter. See below link for some unpleasant Singaporean reality that a Beloved Leader junta of a nepotistic and term limitless political careerist family or a privileged member of Royalty can never relate to.

OCT 27 — Is Singapore really experiencing its golden age, or are we missing a part of the plot?

In a recent commentary, Straits Times Editor Sumiko Tan described what she called ‘Singapore’s Golden Age’, with references to Singapore’s impressive skyline, boasting an array of new developments like Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Flyer, just to name a few.

Citing statistics and surveys, Tan implied that the city-state must be doing something right and is attracting many foreigners to come and work here.

She further stated: “Property is a national preoccupation, but it’s not whether you can afford a roof over your head that Singaporeans fret about. It’s whether or not to get a second property to invest in.”

Sorry Sumiko, but I beg to differ as there are undoubtedly a growing number of Singaporeans who are struggling to buy a decent home for themselves or for their families, let alone purchase a second property.

There was even a recent article which first appeared in The New Paper highlighting how cash-over-valuations (COVs) for resale HDB flats are high, making it more difficult for buyers to acquire units. The report quoted B. Wong, an operations manager, who said that he and his wife would not have been able to pay the S$60,000 (RM150,000) COV for their 11th-storey four-room flat in Punggol had they not sold their previous unit.

Moreover, property prices rose to record levels last quarter amid low interest rates, prompting the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to implement new home loan regulations to prevent a property price bubble.

Private home prices rose 0.5 per cent to a new high in Q3 this year. As for the public housing market, Singapore recently saw its first S$1 million HDB resale flat transaction.

So it is unlikely that the majority of Singaporeans are indeed preoccupied with acquiring more investment properties, especially with the many netizens regularly grumbling about sky-high housing prices.

I don’t argue with the fact that Singapore has seen astounding progress over the last few decades, but it might be time to also accept that not all that glitters is gold. — TR Emeritus

* Romesh Navaratnarajah is the Senior Editor at PropertyGuru.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

ABOUT 300 people staged a peaceful protest in front of the Sri Subramaniar Swamy Temple here today against the proposed construction of two blocks of 29-storey condominiums close to the Batu Caves limestone outcrop near here.

They gathered at about 10 am, carrying placards with slogans, one of which called read: “Stop the construction and save the Batu Caves natural heritage and the world-renowned religious shrine”.

Sri Maha Mariamman Temple Dhevasthanam chairman Datuk R. Nadarajah said the development of the two blocks of 29-storey condominiums would also lead to the destruction of the world’s tallest Lord Murugan statue situated less than 300 metres from the proposed development.

“The construction would endanger the lives of the devotees and tourists from around the world due to the (possibility of) falling objects as a result of the massive development in the vicinity of the temple,” he told a news conference, here.

“The project must be stopped permanently, not temporarily, and we urge the (Selangor) government to consider our plight,” he said.

Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the high-rise construction should be stopped because it could have great adverse impact on the eco-system of the limestone hills there.

“We are not asking for money or land, we are asking to stop the construction permanently because it will also affect many species of animals and plants,” said Samy Vellu, who is Malaysia’s Special Envoy for Infrastructure to India and South Asia.

Malaysian Nature Society secretary Lim Teck Wyn claimed that it was unsafe to locate the proposed development close to Batu Caves.

He recalled an incident of Oct 19, 1973, when a massive piece of rock sheared off the cliff face of Gunung Cheroh in Ipoh and landed on the village of Kampung Kacang Putih, killing 42 people.

Following that tragedy, the Minerals and Geoscience Department (MGD) came up with guidelines for development next to limestone hills.

The Batu Caves cliff face next to the proposed blocks of condominiums has discontinuities and overhangs, which means that the MGD criteria for a very high hazard rating is met.

“The zone surrounding the base of the hill is thus considered to be a very dangerous zone where there should be no houses or permanent buildings,” said Lim. – Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Hi density areas weaken spiritual energy due to lots of living beings taking the areas Qi or Prana. Also tall buildings block line of sight as well as cause further blockage spiritual energy of having people in the way.

“Maybe he did not do his homework. I am disappointed with what he said,” the MCA president was reported as saying today by English-language paper The Sunday Star.

Dr Chua was referring to Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, who had earlier this week said hudud could only apply to Muslims as they come under the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts.

Dr Chua said he was disappointed with Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom’s statement. — File pic
“Therefore, hudud law will not impact non-Muslims,” Jamil Khir, the minister for Islamic affairs, told Parliament in a written reply.

He had based his reply on the Federal Constitution, where Islamic law falls under the jurisdiction of each state and is only applicable to Muslims.

“Therefore, if hudud is to be implemented in Malaysia, then the Syariah Court would only have jurisdiction over those who practise Islam in accordance with the Federal Constitution,” Jamil Khir had said.

Malaysia’s dual-track court system has resulted in an blurring of lines in an increasing number of legal disputes between Muslims and non-Muslims over their constitutional rights.

Dr Chua had last week said many Chinese voters are “also aware that the DAP has been lying when it said that hudud will not affect the non-Muslims”.

MCA has been using the hudud issue to warn non-Muslims, especially the Chinese community, away from voting for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the coming polls, insisting that the pact’s “dominant” partner PAS would insist on its implementation despite its ties with secular DAP and PKR.

Hudud has remained a sensitive touch point in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy, which has a 60 per cent Muslim population, with political parties continuing to spar over the subject in the run-up to the 13th general election.

The idea of an Islamic criminal code has been used to either scare the minority Chinese voters, or shore up support among the majority Malay-Muslim community.

The Malay community is seen today as split three-ways among the ruling BN’s mainstay and the country’s biggest Malay party, Umno, the opposition’s Islamist PAS, and PKR, which is seen as an urban liberal party.

MCA had also previously warned that Muslim MPs would unite to amend the Federal Constitution in favour of hudud and the Islamic state if PR takes over, but DAP’s Lim Kit Siang had dismissed it as a “lie” to stop the Chinese community from voting for the opposition.

Lim had said that there were only 130 Muslim MPs in the country, while 148 MPs are needed to make up the two-thirds majority for a constitutional amendment.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

PAS would not be the dominant member IF all more than 2 term candidates are dropped, and all more than 2 term candidates vacate their posts and all phenotypically similar sycophants would-be and ‘Phenotypical Nepotists’ as well. Thats about 50% of the Pakatan Coalition required to drop out of the race.

To ensure seperation of powers and distribution of power, to prevent vested interest, an MP must not also be on the committee, or Supreme Council (that should be ex-MPs instead), on top of disallowing family blocs in the MP posts or within the committee or Supreme council. That way cults of personality Gaddafi or Mubarak or Ali Salleh style do not form, that end up biasing the political parties intentions, and affecting the nation’s policies. Consider that after various junior posts in the committee, a member would have spent possibly 5-10 years.

Then a 2 term MP or Assemblyman stint possibly 8 years, then finally a Supreme Council post for 2 terms another 8 years. Thats also a grand total of 26 years which is more than enough for any person. So think when a MP post could have seen 8 MPs over the same period of time, how inappropriate that only 1 member among a political party of MILLIONS got to be MP. How is that fair? This is how dictatorship is like in many 3rd world countries, and if the trend is uncontrolled, we end up with an Egypt, a Libya and a Tunisia in the end where revolution is needed to overthrow power mad people in power too long.

The current or would be politician’s intent to the people can be seen in how long they have been in power (long in power but unable to think cleverly enough to destroy racism or fundamentalism or encourage corruption seems to typify most Malaysian politicians btw), or how they consider the above facts and best practices for political parties, so voters take a closer look at the party of your choice and if all intents of candidates or incumbents are bad, run for candidacy yourselves instead! It’s your country too, and that MP’s seat is for EVERYONE, not just those who refuse to amend laws and demand special funeral funds at tax payer cost and enable Astro type monopolies, no-insurance opt outs, extreme fines for minor offences and corrupt and opaque procurement contracts!

Vote 3rd Force and drop all term limitless nepotists and crony capitalist/fundo colluders like DAP or racists like BN!

KUALA LUMPUR, — Manifestos are part and parcel of any general election. They also play a vital role in determining the success or defeat of an electoral candidate or a political party.

The word ‘manifesto’ is being bandied about increasingly in the media and in conversations among the people in the run-up to the 13th General Election, particularly with regard to promises made by political parties prior to the last general election and as to whether they have been delivered or not.

So, what is a manifesto, actually? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate”.

Che Hamdan Che Mohd Razali, political science lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Dungun, Terengganu, is of the opinion that a good manifesto is one that can inspire the desire among voters to choose a political party or candidate to represent them.

“Of course, the candidate plays an important role but the voters also want to know what is the manifesto or declaration being offered by the party,” he told Bernama.

And to what extent do all voters remember the declarations or promises made prior to a general election?

In a 2009 study of a group of people aged between 21 and 40, it was found that most respondents had forgotten what was offered to them during the 2008 general election campaign, said Che Hamdan.

“At that time (the general election campaign), voters were excited by what was offered in the manifestos of political parties. But after some time, they forgot the points and only recalled them after certain related issues were raised nearer the general election date,” he said.

Deciding factor

Speaking of the next general election, Che Hamdan, who is also a political analyst, said that apart from the contesting candidates, the offer of an attractive manifesto would be among the deciding factors to determine the success or defeat of a party.

“Informing people of what has been implemented is actually very effective. They’ll then know what has and has not been done.

“I feel that the Barisan Nasional (BN) should increase the dissemination of information on what it has implemented,” he said referring to the “Jelajah Janji Ditepati” (‘Promises Fulfilled’ Tour) which provided a platform for people to obtain the latest update on the government’s efforts to help them.

Lecturer Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussein of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Social Science Studies Centre, said a manifesto means a declaration or promise which must be presented at any general election.

“Based on political science, there are several elements in a general election, such as campaigns and manifestos. And a manifesto is the main element in any general election,” he said.

The manifesto has a very strong influence in determining the continuity of a party or individual, he added.

A manifesto which fulfills the needs of the people in a particular locality would generally influence the voting pattern,’ he said.

“For example, at the 2008 general election, the opposition had a manifesto which attracted the attention of the people and this allowed them to win in several states,” he said.

However, many of their promises remain unfulfilled, to the point that people were willing to take them to court, he said.

The Parti Keadilan Rakyat-led Selangor government was now facing several legal suits brought by consumers over the water subsidy which was promised in the party’s 12th general election manifesto, he said.

Ahmad Atory said voters would also evaluate the ability of a representative to deliver on promises, through the manifesto.

— BERNAMA

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

So, what is a manifesto, actually? The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate”. 90% failed manifesto by DAP renders DAP unvotable, being voted in on a failed manifesto of unkept words, cheating the voters. Vote 3rd Force!

PETALING JAYA: DAP chairman Karpal Singh has hit back at his fellow leaders who thought his “one candidate, one seat” proposal should be an internal party matter.

On the contrary, he said DAP could not risk the rakyat having leaders playing multiple roles as assemblyman, MP and executive councillors.

“We must put the interest of the country and the party before self,” Karpal said.

In the 1970s, Karpal said DAP leaders had to contest multiple seats because it did not have enough candidates of calibre.

“In the 1990s, party strongmen had to contest tough seats and give up safe seats for new or weaker candidates as our strategy was to win as many seats as possible to wrest control of Penang,” he pointed out.

“Now, we must accommodate quite a number of professionals who have joined Pakatan Rakyat,” he said, adding that DAP should also be sensitive to the people’s views on the multiple seats issue.

Karpal was responding to talk that some leaders were against the “one candidate, one seat” policy as they would lose the multiple incomes that could exceed RM40,000 a month.

In Selangor, an assemblyman’s pay is about RM11,700, inclusive of allowances, while that of an executive councillor is about RM25,000 (inclusive of state assembly pay). An MP earns about RM15,000 a month.

National organising secretary Teresa Kok, who is an MP, assemblyman and an executive councillor in Selangor, had described Karpal’s call as an “old story”.

Kok said that the party’s central executive committee had already discussed the issue and that the final decision depended on each and every constituency and state.

Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim had said that it was not wise to air the matter via the media as “it would create unnecessary dispute and problem”.

On Friday, Karpal had urged DAP leaders holding both parliamentary and state seats to publicly express their willingness to give up one.

Besides exceptional figures in Penang and Sarawak, all others should be willing to vie for only a single constituency, he said.

“We secured great victory in the last general election because of political tsunami but we do not expect such tsunami in the coming polls. It’s going to be tough as the public will assess the candidates based on their abilities,” he said, adding that the party should change its strategy accordingly.

Karpal also stressed that his intention was sincere, adding that there was no “sinister motive” and that even party grassroots supported the “single seat” policy.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Few people even decades into any industry earn as much. These salaries are more than 10 times average annual wage and excessive by normal standards. Then consider the term limitless and nepotism issue. Does the Rayat want to support these people for unlimited terms? 2 terms at most then vote for someone else but not that person’s relatives! Term limitless and nepotistic political careerists begats Minister Mentors and Senior Ministers, that turn into Gaddafis, Mubaraks and Ali Sallehs.

At 23K a month (or 4 million in Singapore’s case), MPs won’t need to work anymore after 2 terms or even 1 term if thrifty, so please voters, do give another one of your fellow constituents a chance to enjoy a salary windfall and allow seperation of powers as well – if the salaries are lowered to national annual wage levels, then fully expect only the wealthier and not greedy political careerists to join up in politics. In either case TERM LIMITS ensures distribution of political power to ALL constituents, not just Supremo and nepotistic family members or cliques which is what DAP has sunk to now – another PAP, and likely indulging in NEUROTECH techno-fascism that can be used to ensure people have no inclination to challenge bad laws that they do not want to change or even bad laws being introduced all the time)

Parti Rakyat Sarawak has declared itself the “true custodian” of Dayaks in Sarawak, putting a spoke perhaps in Taib’s divide and rule strategy.

Parliamentary election’s is not Taib’s top priority, but state is. Rumours are rife that he’s had a finger in the chaos within SUPP, SPDP and PRS. A divided state coalition allows him to have better control of his ‘partners’ and an increasingly empowered native community courtesy of the opposition.

Free Malaysia Today

SIBU: Was Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing sending out a message to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud with his speech during the party’s eight anniversary dinner here last Saturday?

Masing’s emphasis on PRS being a “truly Dayak party” and that its elected representatives were “all Dayaks” wasn’t just a frivolous statement. It was tactical.

It comes at a time of the rapid ‘Dayak awakening’ amongst the rural native communities courtesy of the alternative media, Radio Free Sarawak and a brazen opposition.

Fueling this ‘awakening’ is the floundering Barisan Nasional partners – Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Sarawak United Peoples party (SUPP) – who can’t seem to get their act together.

The only ‘water-tight’ party appears to be PRS and Taib’s PBB which incidentally is facing simmering discontent within its Bumiputera wing led by the allegedly much spineless Alfred Jabu Numpang.

The next parliamentary election which must be held by April 2013 will be a challenging one for Sarawak BN’s component parties.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is desperately in need of Sarawak’s 31 seats in view of the fluid political situation in Sabah and in the peninsular.

In the last parliamentary elections in 2008, it was Sabah and Sarawak’s collective 56 seats that helped BN retain Putrajaya. Sabah and Sarawak each lost one seat to the opposition, delivering 54 seats to the federal coalition.

But the current scenario is somewhat different. The latest spin from the ground in Sabah is that the Musa Aman-led BN could lose up to 10 if not 12 of the 25 contestable parliamentary seats.

As it stands, speculations are rife that BN could lose up to seven seats from amongst SUPP, SPDP and PRS.

Taib, on his part, has guaranteed Najib a return on all 14 of PBB’s parliamentary seats and there’s no reason for the PM to doubt his ability especially after his performance in the last state election. Taib is not too concerned about parliament.

PRS truly represents Dayaks

Parliamentary election’s is not Taib’s top priority, but state is. Rumours are rife that he’s had a finger in the chaos within SUPP, SPDP and PRS. A divided state coalition allows him to have better control of his ‘partners’ and an increasingly empowered native community courtesy of the opposition.

Masing is said to be a thorn in Taib’s side. In the run-up to last year’s state election, Masing, unhappy with Taib constantly ignoring his proposals, met directly with Najib and in one instant managed to thwart attempts to allow an ex-PRS incumbent elected representative, Larry Sng, from contesting.

On Saturday, stamping PRS’ sway over Sarawak’s majority Dayak community, Masing said the party was the “custodian” of Dayak interest and that its elected representatives were “duty bound” to protect the race.

“For all intents and purposes, PRS is the party which truly represents rural constituencies where most of the Dayaks happen to reside.

“Therefore, we do not apologise for who we are and the basis of our political stand and struggles,” he said alluding perhaps to the known ‘issues’ between him and Taib.

Masing further warned members to be wary of “attempts” to stir discontent within the party adding that enemies and approaches came in different forms.

“There are people who are envious of our strength and will try to de-stabilise us. They maybe individuals or groups.

“They will (either) contest against us when the general election is called (or) slyly fight us by pretending to our friends or friends of the group and pull us down.

“The other way is to de-stabilise us is by picking on some of our members who exhibit certain weaknesses. This will be a subtle approach and by people who we are familiar with. Thus without realizing it, we will fall into a trap which will eventually break the party’s solidarity,” said Masing.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Pakatan is the custodian of nepotism and term limitless as well as continuation of apartheid. The Dayaks do not need a ‘custodian’, custodianship implies a lack of mental capacity. Do the Dayaks see what an insult Pakatan has offered up to them? The Dayaks will demand equal representation and full 100% disbursement of profits from East Malaysia as well as return of all stolen lands – not this so-called ‘custodianship’. Dayaks in fact could secede and demand a seat at the UN instead of ‘custodianship’. Wake up Dayaks, simply because when someone pretends to talk to you like an adult, that does not mean they respect you or will grant you rights as an equal or allow you the autonomy of an adult – thats like an ADULT ‘pet animal’ being trapped in that cage forever EVEN when adult when their natural preference is to roam the world or set up their own habitates without bars and feeding times or what not . . .

, the Dayaks need to think clearly and fight back against condescension – the contents of the words are those for a child, or in this case mentally inept! Demand equality or leave the Malaysian Federation to form your own nation with a seat at the UN if either caolition BN or PR does not promise via statuary declaration to grant :

;as well as return ALL stolen and illegally occupied lands as well as 100% disbursement right to ALL wealth from East Malaysia as well as 1st class citizenships. Perhaps after the stupid and shameless or selfish Chinese Malaysian voters and politicians see this action by the Orang Asli will APARTHEID of BUMIPUTERA end.

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 28, 2012): Once the Strata Management Bill 2012 is enacted, the management of a gated community can apply for a court order to seize and auction the property of a delinquent house owner to offset management fee owed.

Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung told Sin Chew Daily in an interview published today that this is because house owners were fully aware when they purchased their property that they had to pay monthly management fee for security service rendered.

This rule also applies to gated apartments and condominiums.

The Strata Management Act 2012 (SMA) is to replace the Building and Common Property Act 2007.

Chor said in fact the Building and Common Property Act 2007 empowers the management of a gated community to take the aforesaid action against delinquent property owners, but many people are not aware of this as it is not clearly defined in the act.

He said he had spent a lot of time and talked to not less than 20 related organisations on this matter to come up with the new act
(SMA).

However, he said, the government cannot do anything if house owners in guarded communities refuse to pay for guards hired to watch over and patrol their areas, as it is not stated in the owners’ sale-and-purchase agreement.

Chor also said that under the SMA, residents of a housing area need only obtain the consent of 51% of the residents to set up a guarded community, compared with 80% under the present law.

“Residents who hire guards to beef up security in a housing estate do it on their free will and out of their own pockets. If the other 49% of the residents believe the housing area is safe, and that they need not pay for additional security, they cannot be forced to do so,” said Chor.

He pointed out that roads within a gated community are private property, and therefore residents within the community have the right to deny access to non-residents.

“On the other hand, roads within a guarded community are public property. The security guards have no right to deny non-residents access to the area.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This is idiotic and democracy destroying. Beware? Which MPs ratified the act? Which people drafted the act? These 20 organisations who proposed or back these abusive laws are a plague upon the ‘conscientious objectors’ of the gated community! Just because some people want guards does not mean others should pay and backed by government as well! The man’s home is their castle but a group of men with castles unless intending to be thugs or warlords cannot STEAL already paid for ownership because others living around them intend to force them to pay for extraneous services that they do not want. The Housing Minister in fact should act to disallow such laws not implement and announce the same.

This empowers the management of the gated community, or even the Resident’s Committee to unprecedented levels in society, into that of local gangsters, and actual gangsters do not even have power to sell off people’s property! This is like Japan selling China’s Diaoyu Islands! Who paid for the unit? The management, so-called Resident’s Committee or the owner? If the mob mentality of the rest of the residents and colluders want the security, that’s their business and they cannot be penalized for living in the area. Those who do not want to be controlled by the doubtless political party backed so-called managment of gated communities however have every right to refuse to pay. This is blatant legalist bullying legalized gangsterism almost, and cannot be allowed, a feudal mentality of anything. Taking away people’s homes simply for refusing to pay for guards is UN unendorsable in law. Absolutely uncivilised and uneducated. No lawyers on this as usual eh? Bunch of legal lap-dogs that UN has somehow seen fit to award . . .

The Rakyat had better understand the ramifications of such a law that allows a mere management company or group of mob minded residents to sell property that does not belong to them! Vote out the MPs who began this disaster against democracy! The incidental beneficiary of guards cannot legally be beholden to relinquish 100s of 1000s even millions worth properties because the laws make no sense o r are written with collusion in mind. Vote for 3rd force!

This is also another reason why hi-rise and now gated community units are a serious problem especially with law makers like these. The grey area autonomy issues in common spaces end up being abused in this manner which would doubtless be employed against political opponents of any politicians who are inclined to bing term limitless (meaning ganglord type satrapies withuot term limits), and amounts to protection rackets! So for example a handful of people try to pull a fast one in collusion with as many as possible that they want ‘guards’ (doubtless relatives or cronies with aging parents in the security field) and effectively force everyone else to pay up or their unit will be sold off (by all common sense considerations this is unconstitutional) . . . THEN consider if ethnicity is brought into consideration as well! Structural abuse of civilian rights backed by bad laws!

One can imagine the destruction of the sense of nation further and worsening of management gangs or property developers with this sort of mentality (identify which property developers or land bank owners that write up or assent to such abusive powers and you will identify the 1% in Malaysia that will never allow Allodial Titles and keep raising quit rents and maintenance fees AND NOW with new abusive powers to take away entire life savings worth of properties that the courts also back – all for not paying guards that are their cronies and aging relatives?! Wake up voters! Vote for 3rd Force! Kongsi Ho? More like Boho!

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 28, 2012): Drug rehabilitation organisation Pengasih Malaysia today urged the attorney-general to penalise the abuse of kratom (ketum) leaves under the Dangerous Drugs Act instead of the Poisons Act, and also to regard glue-sniffing under the former law as well.

Pengasih president Datuk Mohd Yunus Pathi said this was necessary to check the abuse of kratom leaves, which were addictive, especially if mixed with certain items.

He said a study by Pengasih found that some adults in their 40s consumed a kratom extract mixed with coffee or other drinks to boost their energy.

“Taking a kratom drink on a regular basis will have an adverse effect on the health of the consumer,” he told reporters at Rumah Pengasih, here.

Mohd Yunus also regarded the sniffing of glue as a serious problem.

“There is no specific law on sniffing glue, although the practice can cause brain damage and lead to crime and social ills,” he said.

He proposed that the aftercare programme for former drug addicts be reviewed as certain aspects were seen as obstacles for them to lead a normal life. – Bernama

Ridiculous and condescending. Coffee, Sugar and Milk can also be abused. Try over drinking too much of these everyday drinks/condiments and possibly become very ill. Kratom is also liable to be abused in the same manner or could be taken in moderation as well. ‘. ‘God’ gave man the right to the world and the food and plants on the world. Government is but a group of men. Which group of men have a a right to tell another group what they can or cannot do? Where are those Organics Psychedelics Zones for much like the ones in Amsterdam? Illegal and rare makes for high profit and high fines . . . for victimless crimes? Undemocratic.

GEORGE TOWN (Oct 26, 2012) : Veteran lawmaker Karpal Singh has called on party representatives who hold both parliamentary and state seats to declare that they will only contest one seat in the next general election.

He said that during one of the party’s central executive committee (CEC) meetings, the committee had agreed by consensus that a candidate should only hold two seats in “exceptional” cases.

” I had suggested that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng should be considered an exception, ” he said at a press conference in Farlim market earlier today.

Karpal said that at present the party has nine representatives holding two seats – three in Penang, two in Perak, one each in Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuching and Sibu.

The three who are holding two seats in Penang are Lim, state DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy.

Lim is currently Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, Chow is Tanjong MP and Padang Kota assemblyman while Ramasamy is the Batu Kawan MP and Prai assemblyman.

Karpal, who is also DAP national chairman said it was up to the CEC to decide which seat the candidate should give up.

He added that there should not be any difficulties in surrendering seats as the DAP was no longer short of candidates.

Chow was recently quoted as saying that the party would allow its candidates to concurrently contest two seats if the situation calls for it.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

After a slew of DAP failures and 90% failed campaign promises as well as a scores of abusive run ins with the local traders and residents over refusals to amend laws, 1 SINGLE move towards best practices in democracy (outweighed by dozens of worst practices) will not make a difference to the voters aware of the undemocratic rubbish DAP now is. Karpal being such a veteran politician should know that this single action cannot change the minds of the educated voters at all because democracy is only for DAP members and no other Rakyat at all. DAP is such a hateful political party, term limitless and nepotistic to boot! Again I post what the voters need to know :

NEPOTISM IN PAKATAN RAKYAT Three of the family blocs below must be challenged so that only a single candidate without relatives remains :

Lim Kit Siang (MP Ipoh Timur – Perak)

Lim Guan Eng (MP Air Puteh – Penang)

Chew Gek Cheng (Assemblyman Kota Laksamana – Malacca) Guan Eng’s wife

Lim Hui Ying Guan Eng’s sister (Vice-Chairman)

Two of the below must be challenged so that only a single candidate without relatives remains :

Karpal Singh (MP Jelutong – Penang)

Gobind Singh (MP Puchong – Selangor) Karpal’s son

Jagdeep Singh (Asssemblyman Dato Keramat – Penang) Karpal’s son

Two of the below must be challenged so that only a single candidate without relatives remains :

Anwar Ibrahim (MP Permatang Pauh, Seberang Prai)

Wan Azizah

Nurul Izzah Anwar(MP Lembah Pantai – Kuala Lumpur)

Anwar’s Daughter Also either Ngeh (Pantai Remis) or Nga (Sitiawan) must go to prevent 2nd degree nepotism and the kind of environment that caused DAP’s Kulasegaran, PKR’s Gobalakrishnan, to be kicked out possibly an act of racism but more likely at the order of the Lim Dynasty clique. BN of course we do not need to discuss, blocs of relatives galore.

MCA, MIC, Gerakan are also littered with nepotism – political parties are not family clan associations (family clan associations being unpopular enough already due to the same politicking as well whu=ich drives same named families away from the same structures . . . ).

HRP might very well be aware of some things we are not aware of to list some surprising choices as well, do not discount their reasons. PSM’s Jeyakumar appears to have been bought by BN though, so their viability is uncertain until PSM’s clique leadership changes. I have done some probing and casual calls to PSM, they are not very grassroots and quite a clique based outfit very suspicious of outsiders.

DAP of course (also tried earlier) is far worse and absolutely TREACHEROUS and clique based and beholden to SINGAPORE’s PAP. I would not be surprised if the nepotists in DAP are rounded up a 2nd time, for collusions with Singapore to subvert Malaysian Federal authority instead amongst other things like ‘neurotech abuse’.

Everyone else, should meanwhile stand as independents in any constituency with bad assemblymen or MPs or people who do not endorse term limits and asset declarations. Here’s something that will help voters decide if candidacy is not their thing or too expensive :

Barisan – Apartheid, Corrupt and Nepotistic-Oligarchs

Pakatan – Corrupt and Nepotistic-Oligarchs (excepting PAS)

3rd Force – Corrupt Only

Independents – any citizen can be an independent, think you are not a plutocrat (worth less than 20 million), will respect term limits and not write 750K/120K funeral laws in favour of yourself? Not racist? Then run for election! The world needs you! Here’s something that will help voters decide if candidacy is not their thing or too expensive : Pick the coalition with the least flaws.

BN = 90% Apartheid, 90% Nepotism, 90% Corrupt

PR = 50% Nepotism, 50% Corrupt

3rd Force = 0% Nepotism, 0% Corruption

Pick the coalition with the least flaws. End the APARTHEID ! Destroy the Oligarchs in all political coalitions ! 3rd Force is best. Beware voters, as mentioned many times before, it could be critical that Selangor and Penang MUST be controlled by neutral parties neither BN nor PR dominated, and East Malaysia controlled by local East Malaysian political parties ONLY (not Peninsular Coalitions like BN or PR), with the remainded left for Pakatan Rakyat, OTHERWISE Pakatan Rakyat with its burgeoning nepotists and oligarchs will become a second BN. Vote 3rd Force!

ARTICLE 11

Berjaya Land plans RM9.92bil casino and mall on Jeju Island – by TEE LIN SAY – linsay@thestar.com.my | Nov 2, 2012Ng: Jeju Resort will create some 4,000 jobsJEJU ISLAND: Berjaya Land Bhd’s (BLand) US$3.2bil (RM9.92bil) Berjaya Jeju Resort will feature the biggest casino and shopping mall in South Korea, along with condominiums, villas, hotels and a landmark building once it is completed.The first phase to be launched will be its 51 villas and 96 “market walk” units with a gross development value of US$250mil, with prices starting from US$1,000 (RM3,300) per sq ft.BLand chief executive officer Datuk Francis Ng is confident of generating 25% return from Phase 1 alone.“In South Korea, we can only start selling the units once we have done 20% of construction works. We should be able to start selling in three to four months. However, our pre-marketing is already starting,” he said.Ng said this at the opening ceremony of BLand’s property gallery here.He added that for the moment, Phase 1 would be fully funded by internal funds, although some financiers had expressed interest to provide loans. The entire Phase 1 should be completed in 26 months.Right now, Jeju Island has the support of the Central Government of South Korea to transform the area into an international tourist destination, matching the likes of Hong Kong and Singapore.BLand’s wholly owned subsidiary Berjaya Leisure (Cayman) Ltd has a 72.6% stake in the project, while Jeju Free International City Development Centre has a 19% stake and Swan Street Partner LLP holds the remaining 8.4%.Ng said the Jeju Resort, which has one kilometre coastline, would create some 4,000 jobs and would help provide more hotel accommodations currently not available on the resort island.“We will have some three hotels in our resort. Right now, we are in talks with Ritz Carlton to be our partner for one of our hotels,” he said.Since venturing into the project in 2008, BLand has pumped in some US$100mil (RM310mil) on the infrastructure works itself. It bought the 75-acre freehold land for US$62mil (RM192.2mil) or US$8 (RM24.80) per sq ft.Currently, buyers who buy properties worth US$500,000 and above in Jeju Island will be entitled to permanent residency in the resort island.On the casino front, Ng said the group was not in a hurry to proceed with the development as presently, the South Korean government had yet to issue domestic casino licences.The local government of Jeju Island is in talks with the Central Government of South Korea to review the liberalisation of this domestic casino licence. Jeju Island is a self governing province in South Korea.Meanwhile, for the shopping mall component, BLand intends to develop it on its own and look for a local partner.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

We don’t NEED another tycoon and another stupid money laundering purposes and inaccessible super casino in ANOTHER country. We want 4D outlets to offer casino games in our street corners. We want casino billionaires to change the law to ensure the rights of non-Muslims to gamble be not interfered with in the above suggestions! Preferably monopoly free and non-relative franchise related!

In their joint research, Universiti Malaya (UM) senior lecturer in development studies Dr Lee Hwok Aun and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) research fellow Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid found that fresh Chinese graduates are more likely to be called for a job interview based on their resumes compared to Malays.

“Our findings suggest that employers are generally predisposed favourably towards Chinese, substantially due to compatibility factors and unobservable qualities not revealed in job applications, and are more selective towards Malays, which results in fewer but considerably qualified applicants getting callbacks,” the duo stated in an abstract of their seminar paper being presented at UM today.

The two academics said they had conducted a field experiment by sending made-up resumes of fresh Malay and Chinese graduates to real job advertisements.

From their research, Lee and Muhammed Abdul found that while both Malay and Chinese graduates who listed Chinese-language proficiency and stated that they graduated from a certain university were likely to increase their chances to be called for an interview, yet employers — especially those that were Chinese-controlled or foreign-run — were significantly inclined to pick the Chinese applicant.

They noted that the racial discrimination was sharper in engineering jobs than in the accounting or finance sector.

They also found that in the engineering industry, Malays were most likely to be rejected by foreign-controlled companies, followed by Malay-controlled companies and lastly Chinese-controlled firms.

However, they said their data does not directly show the motif of the racial discrimination in the hiring process based on the experiment they had conducted.

Lee and Muhammed Abdul are presenting their paper, titled “Does race matter in getting an interview? A field experiment of hiring discrimination in Peninsular Malaysia”, at UM’s Economics and Administration Faculty at 10am.

Malaysia’s mushrooming local higher education institutions churned out a total 184,581 graduates last year, according to the latest statistics released on the Higher Education Ministry’s website. Of that figure, 44,391 people or 24 per cent are unemployed. The Najib administration has set aside some RM500 million in its Budget 2013 to spend on jobless youths to make them marketable.

…
written by @GetReal, November 02, 2012 20:43:29
There are very poor grounds for the survey to be meaningful. The survey is carried out in a country which practise institutionalised discrimmination. Admission to Government universities are on race base quotas and not merit. Standards have been lowered to accommodate students who were admitted on the basis of the quota. None Malay students are the creme de la creme and have to work hard to justify their father’s scholarship. So we expect vastly different standards in the graduates. The private universities probably produce better graduates as they have genuinely better qualified lecturers. I met a none Malay electronics engineer who helps to design programmable computer chips.. He is paid an annual salary of Rgt.500,000 He says some lecturers in the local Government Uni have a problem understanding his lectures! Race based quota is the cause of race based discrimination.

…
written by @upsidedown119, November 02, 2012 20:35:33
written by Imprimatur: As an employer in Malaysia, and a foreigner to boot, I have observed middle management with very obvious preferences based not so much on race but on the perceived values that each race allegedly has…….If I had to jump on the racist bandwagon that seems so popular here, I would actually say that the attitude displayed by people like mvinside makes a good case against hiring Chinese employees … nothing worse than staff filled with pride at their race’s perceived strengths and having little else to offer.

Base on the obvious bias in your comment, it’s not hard to conclude that either you or your company is the sub-contractor of a UMNO-BN crony contractor or the manager of a crony company itself. Your comments runs counter to my own observations many members of top management, including of public-listed companies!

But if you are the beneficiary of a UMNO-BN crony contract, then the ‘buta gaji’ for those extraneous engineers are already provided for in the inflated contract price! If not, you are likely to go bankrupt.

…
written by @EU, November 02, 2012 20:18:23
Why don’t you do a survey on the private malay companies? They almost employed 100% malays, unlike the chinese companies. And from experience, even if two resumes are the same, I can tell you, the chinese can speak better English than the malays because the malays will always answer back in B.M. They refused to speak other languages. Also I know that the malay ladies also will go to prayer room in the afternoon. Friday, Malay guys will be allowed to go to mosques. Employers are looking for profitability. Chinese only takes little time for lunch and work overtime too. Employers are also very wary of dismissing a malay staff even if he or she is not performing. So, the private sectors more likely to call in chinese for interview because they believe their qualifications are real. It is a matter of trust and through experience.

…
written by @Jimmy Lim, November 02, 2012 19:23:18
What a lot of crap. Bias n racist study. What about GLC n Govt where 99% are malays?

…
written by @EU, November 02, 2012 11:51:37
I don’t believe this report. How is it my former china man company employs more malays than chinese. And in my department, out of 15 employees, only 2 are chinese. If the public sectors do not employ chinese and private sectors also will not employ chinese, then, where would the Chinese go. Are they satisfy only when the chinese have no jobs and become beggars. This kind of report is not helpful at all. It only stirred up the races. It is only logical that since more malays are employed in the public sectors, they are less likely to go for the private companies that offer no pensions on retiring. Whereas, there will be more chinese applying for private jobs since they cannot get into the public sectors.

…
written by @Kiwi, November 02, 2012 18:23:40
Actually the comments are more interesting than the article. What they reveal is why as an outsider I look at Malaysia and shake my head and what bigots so many of you are.

About half the commenters argue that discrimination like this does occur, but it’s justified because Chinese are hardworking/ smarter etc. You ignore that the resumes were identical but only the race was different. But you think that discrimination is acceptable because your stereotype of Malays in general is that they are lazy/ poor workers etc. Well my friends that is the precise definition of racism. You have two identical candidates and you make a judgement that one is inferior to another based on his or her race.
The other half of commenters say that this is discrimination but it’s ok because the Government sector discriminates against non Malays. So two wrongs make a right. Then you go on to suggest that Chinese employers only started discriminating against Malays because of the NEP. Yet you are ignorant of history. The Tunku back in the sixties was speaking with the Australian ambassador from his office in KL. He pointed across the shop lots below and said (I paraphrase) how many of these businesses owned by Chinese will employ a Malay worker – almost none.[[[ *** Response to Comment by @Kiwi *** ]]] So Malay Special Privileges were applied for 15 years after which they were to be reviewed for ending, UMNO did not review. Social Contract broken, the Chinese retaliated. So the reality is that the NEP misused as it may have become was a result of Chinese racism in employment not the cause of it. Want further evidence? Walk through a shopping centre in Australia or NZ and look at the businesses owned by Chinese. How many non-Chinese do they employ? None. Is that the fault of the NEP too?[[[ *** Response to Comment *** ]]] Chinese in Australia has nothing to do with race, but religious habits impacting upon the secular/commercial sphere. Muslims are too religious to do business well (many Malays are forced to be Muslims or lose bumi privileges – or are Muslims by habit if not sometimes violent inculpation by sick minded authoritarian parents – because of the abuse and shame in the childhood coercion to abide religion cases, Muslims are quite closed as a society by necessity and have many inane(insane?) religious rules that impinge on secular society such as loud prayers 5 times daily, Friday halfdays (thats 2 halfdays a 7 day week), MANY Holy days which MUST be holidays that the employer has to bear the brunt of, avoiding pork and alcohol which is served everywhere etc..) with the larger community, so Muslims will always attract less secular customers and employers, which is what Australia and even Malaysia mainly is, secular. Don’t try to create problems by fingering the Chinese when the issue is religious preference caused by the Malays themselves …
written by Babu, November 02, 2012 11:53:48
Have they done the studies in government related jobs? Like the public office, etc? We are not blind you know? I don’t know why the Chinese have to be made like it is something wrong with them for being better, faster or knowledgable. Probably they are good at adapting to the economic environment.Maybe if you put Chinese in the jungle they would be dead in 2 days compared to the native people. It’s all about adaptation to the environment. If your culture blocks your advancement, don’t blame it on the chinese or anyone else. The Chinese have more reasons to blame the NEP and lopsided affirmative actions when it comes to retarding their advancement.

ARTICLE 13

Al-Arqam’s shadow cabinet uncovered – by HARIZ MOHD | news@nst.com.my 2 commentsKhatijah Am, known to her followers as Ummu Jah, had been living in self-imposed exile in Mecca for the past few years.KUALA LUMPUR: THE banned Al-Arqam movement, 41 ministries, including for souls, death, ritual sex, led by the founder’s wife, Khatijah Am, is said to have formed a “shadow cabinet” with 41 ministries, including the ministry of the netherworld (kementerian alam ghaib).This was part of its plot to overthrow the government and form an Islamic state, according to information compiled by intelligence agencies.Also listed in its shadow cabinet were the ministries of true souls and sects (roh suci dan tariqat), death and the hereafter (kematian dan akhirat) and family and holy sex (keluarga dan seks suci).Intelligence sources said Khatijah, who is the widow of Ashaari Muhammad and has been living in Mecca after his death, had been holding monthly meetings with “top leaders” of the sect in Malaysia via video conferencing.A source said 54 meetings, dubbed “roh parlimen” (soul parliament) by Khatijah, had been held so far.In their “parliamentary meetings”, which had begun in May 2010, Khatijah had assumed the position as their “prime minister”.”To ensure that Al-Arqam leaders and followers stayed with the movement and follow her orders, Khatijah claimed she received direct orders from her late husband,” a source said.

“She had been involved in running the movement even when Ashaari was still alive. Ashaari suffered a mild stroke in 2005.”

The source added that Khatijah, known to followers as Ummu Jah, had been living in self-imposed exile in Mecca for the past few years.

The group, the source said, had received funding from more than 30 welfare homes in Malaysia run by their proxies.

Some homes run by key personnel in Al-Arqam were registered with the Welfare Department and received government funding.

“These welfare homes received donations, not only from the government, but private companies and unsuspecting individuals as well,” said the source.

“From our intelligence reports, only a small portion of the donations received were used for the homes while the remaining went to Khatijah’s accounts,” the source said, adding that Khatijah lived lavishly in a mansion rented for 340,000 riyal (RM276,000) a year.

The mansion, called RSA Palace, has a conference room, an elevator, gymnasium, sauna and a swimming pool. The source said the movement collected an average of RM800,000 in donations every month.

Meanwhile, Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said they were collecting evidence on the group’s activities.

“We found that the group, through its company, still continues with its deviant teachings. All the claims that Ashaari is Imam Mahdi and Ummu Jah can communicate with her late husband are blatant lies.

“We hope those with information on their activities will come forward to assist in our investigations.”

Al-Arqam was decreed a deviant sect in 1994 by the National Fatwa Council after it was found to have practised Aurad Muhammadiah teachings which was described as misleading Muslims from the true Islamic beliefs.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Al-Arqam is peaceful in the legal physical sense but in the spiritual sense doing much illegal thought via spiritual methods. Ethics also require that the spiritual state of people need to be allowed autonomy. Al-Arqam’s manipulation is much like Malaysian Syariah laws that effectively force Malays via ‘Bumiputra Privilege Removal’ threats to keep Muslims in Islam, or disallow choice to young children in Muslim families to choose their faith.

This is the abuse fostered by Islam that offends the Western and modern world so much, that makes countries like Malaysia into pariahs among nations. Don’t even get into what the worst of the Middle East does to their people. Religion is a tool of control nothing else when applied in this manner. Were children allowed to choose, Islam could well disappear from the planet in as soon as 1 generation. The only way to keep Islam alive is with violence and forced inculpation or bribery with material ‘Islamist’ benefits like in Malaysia’s biased and minority disenfranchising, Malay only – ethnicity based discriminating Bumiputra Apartheid system. If Muslims only seek the afterlife, then why is the entire faith is fillled with money grubbing infidels who care not for the suffering of their fellow Muslims, much less fellow men, what with the extreme wealth some Muslims have and the corruption and lack of ethics everywhere else.

ARTICLE 14

WHY ANWAR IBRAHIM? Time to end race-based politics in Malaysia Featured – written by John Lee M K – Tuesday, 02 October 2012 13:41

It ignores a simple reality: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already made history by being the first Malay politician to ever actually win more political support through an explicitly non-racial platform. It is practically impossible to underestimate how Anwar bucked the trend; he has completely turned our understanding of politics in this country on its head.

History has already made it crystal-clear; Malay politicians who try to unite the country by appealing to a common sense of Malaysian-ness inevitably wind up heading into political oblivion. Dato Onn Ja’afar’s political career went up in flames the moment he founded the first multiracial political party in the country, in spite of it having every conceivable advantage – it was literally the incumbent party of the time because of Onn’s towering status in Malayan politics. And it, of course, foundered completely.

Since then nobody has even tried to unite the Malays as Malaysians. Unite the Malays as Malays, of course; Syed Jaafar Albar famously proclaimed in the 1960s that he was a Malay first and a Malaysian second. Syed Hussein Alatas made an admirable attempt to change Malaysian politics through Gerakan, and we all know how that turned out. Literally every Malay leader who has tried to be Malaysian first ever since has risked being branded as a sell-out, a puppet of the non-Malays and a stooge of Lee Kuan Yew.

The one exception was Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who experienced some brief success with his Bangsa Malaysia idea. This only makes sense, considering Dr Mahathir’s iron-fisted handling of anyone who dared to oppose him; it is thus a pity that he never took this policy beyond mere words.

The moment Dr Mahathir handed over the reins to his successor, Malay politicians were up in arms criticising Bangsa Malaysia as a ‘nebulous’ and untenable concept for daring to acknowledge that the non-Malays have a place in this country too.

Brave enough to dump ketuanan Melayu

So here we are today: 51 years after independence, the easiest way to tar a Malay politician next to calling him a Jew-lover is to accuse him of saying this country belongs to the Chinese and Indians too. That is simply how Malaysian politics works; to win the support of the Malays, you need to denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters, who are only here as a matter of privilege rather than right, a privilege revocable at any time.

And what a coincidence it is – that is exactly how the Malaysian government works too. If you’re not an Indonesian who can be counted as a Malay, your application for permanent residency or citizenship can never hope to see the light of day. If you’re not a Malay, you can expect to hear your fair share of racist remarks in a public national school – and not from students, mind you, but teachers.

As a student you can expect a syllabus which teaches you about the meaning of ketuanan Melayu rather than bangsa Malaysia. As an employee you can expect a civil service where you’re not welcome unless they need you to fulfil their minuscule quota of non-Malay recruits. As an entrepreneur you can expect a government – and many government-linked companies – which will not give you any business unless you are a Malay. Half a century after independence, and that’s what 40% of this country has to look forward to.

And since this is how the government works, up-and-coming politicians and political activists realise this is how politics works too. That is why even though you will never hear the typical Malaysian voicing such sentiments, political activists will readily denounce the non-Malays as foreign squatters here at the behest of a social contract which gives them the privilege, not right, to stay and live here.

Since this is how politics and government have worked since time immemorial, we owe Anwar an incredible debt for nearly single-handedly turning all this – everything – completely on its head.

‘Anak Melayu, anak saya. Anak Cina, anak saya. Anak India, anak saya’

For the past half century, to be a good Malay leader, you have either had to publicly proclaim your support for ketuanan Melayu – and not the mild ketuanan as in strong leadership, but ketuanan as in ‘blood will run in the streets if our demands are not met’ – or you have had to simply avoid commenting on the issue and just hope you can be all things to all people.

Anwar ran on a platform, not of vague meaningless nice-sounding platitudes, but a platform explicitly against everything ketuanan Melayu stands for.

This is a man, mind you, who celebrated the end of his ban on active politics by damning ketuanan Melayu and consigning it to the dust heap of history. This is a man who has publicly and repeatedly proclaimed that his commitment is to the sovereignty of the people – ketuanan rakyat – rather than the dominance of the Malays.

This is a man who has never wavered from his stand that the philosophy of government assistance based on racial origin, rather than economic status, is fundamentally and morally wrong. This is a man who has repeatedly, wherever he goes, whoever he speaks to, driven home the same point, again and again: ‘Anak Melayu, anak saya. Anak Cina, anak saya. Anak India, anak saya.’

And this is a man who has had everything in the traditional playbook of Malaysian politics thrown at him. He’s been labelled a heretic, a sodomite, a liar, a hypocrite, a traitor willing to sell the Malays and Malaysians out at a moment’s notice. The ruling coalition has done everything in their power to make it known far and wide that this is a man committed to non-racialism; committed to a Malaysia where everyone belongs.

Regardless of whether you think he deserves it, or if he was just lucky, credit is due to Anwar: where so many brave Malay leaders have fallen and failed, he has won an incredible victory. Onn Ja’afar was vilified simply for opening up his political party to Malayans of all creeds and colours; Anwar has gone above and beyond, explicitly declaring that this is a country for all Malaysians, whoever they might be. And he has won a resounding victory.

Broke new frontiers

It would be one thing if he scraped through with a majority of less than 5,000 votes in the recent by-election, but the fact is, it was not even close – not with a landslide majority of 15,000, larger even than the majority his wife won before he explicitly condemned ketuanan Melayu. Anwar has succeeded where everyone else has failed; he has carved out a broad base of political support, not on a platform of rights or privileges for one community, but a platform of justice and equality of opportunity for all communities.

Criticise Anwar all you like for his inconsistent and wishy-washy stands on other issues. Criticise his coalition for its internal dissension and strange hypocrisy all you want. You can even say you have no intention of trusting a man who might just stab you in the back the moment he gains power.

The fact of the matter is, you do not have a choice between Anwar and your ideal, committed, consistent, sincere Malaysian leader. Your choice, in the here and now, is between Anwar and a regime built on racism, built on stoking the flames of mistrust and hatred. This regime of hatred has delivered its promise of ketuanan Melayu; why should we expect things to be any worse under a regime promising ketuanan rakyat?

At the worst, it’s the same old shit under a different government; at best, we might finally have a government and a political system which works for all Malaysians rather than whoever yells the loudest and threatens the most blood.

Making the Malaysian dream a reality

As far as taking power is concerned, this is still a long shot. Anwar may yet turn out to be a flop on delivering if he ever gets the chance to govern. But the simple and stark reality is, as far as we who live in the present are concerned, he is our best and only chance to put a stop to this insanity.

Anwar is not the perfect vessel for uniting the country, but there is a reason he scares the powers that be: he is the first real chance we have ever had to unite the country against the demons of racialism and parochialism. And for now, he is our only chance. He is the only one who can cross ethnic barriers to proclaim a commitment to a Malaysia where Malaysians, not Malays, are sovereign, and actually win more support than before.

I am no huge fan of Anwar, but I recognise what he has done, and how far he has come. I support him, not because I like him as a person, but because I believe in the cause he champions, and because I believe that if there is any person in this country who can make that dream a reality, it is Anwar Ibrahim.

MAILBAG

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Lies. 90% of campaign promises failed by RPK’s reports PKR had 8% quorums for Anwar’s PKR Presidency. Anwar has never mentioned in any clear certain terms (as in the below 3 items) ending apartheid of bumiputra and even has tolerated PAS and DAP’s attempts to implement Hudud. John ‘Chattering Classes’ Lee has been unthinkingly a PKR supporter too long :

In the past 24 hours, two DAP MPs have broken ranks and swung their support for 3rd Force’s call for the immediate suspension of the DAP for ‘campaign promise failure’ offences, pending full study of various public interest issues related to its implementation.

The first to do so is the 3rd Force Youth leader and MP who, after a meeting of the 3rd Force Youth executive council yesterday, called for the government ROS to suspend DAP as a review of the system was necessary to rectify democratic weaknesses in DAP. Today, a 3rd Force MP for Sabah, who is also Deputy Chairman of 3rd Force Backbenchers Club (BNBBC) also crossed the political divide to back the BN call for suspension of DAP.

The BARISAN state governments have already given approval for the suspension of DAP until conclusion of full study and a proper consultation process with all the relevant stakeholders.

Put public good above all

The question now is whether there is any DAP MP, Deputy Minister or Minister who dare to break ranks to call for immediate suspension of DAP to produce the first fruit of DAP’s two-year-old “failed campaign promises” or whether all the boasts of “campaign promises” are just bunkum.

Since the DAP Supremo, Lim Kit Siang has refused to listen to the legitimate concerns about the keeping of canpaign promises, I call on all 3rd Force MPs, whether Minister, Deputy Minister or ordinary backbencher; or other 3rd Force component parties; whether from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak, to follow the example of 3rd Forcers to support the call for the immediate suspension of Pakatan Rakyat for failure to decxlare assets as promised, failure to implement Local Council Elections and other abuses of democratic processes.

MPs from both 3rd Force and BN can effect an immediate suspension of the Pakatan Rakyat by adopting a common position during the committee stage of the 2013 Budget debate on the Transport Ministry on 20th November 2012.

3rd Force has 25 political parties and if there are at least another 36 MPs from Barisan Nasional and Independents who support the suspension of the Pakatan Rakyat to make a total of a parliamentary majority, then Lim Kit Siang would have no choice but to resign as MP of Bandar Melaka and all posts in the DAP Committee and Pakatan Supreme Council as per democratic requirments and limits on terms, if Lim Kit Siang refuses to heed the voice of the majority of MPs to immediately drop all MPs who have family blocs and have breached term limit prohibitions.

While 3rd Force is against the implementation of the AES system alongside Pakatan Rakyat, the severe failure and shamelessly undemocratic, nepotistic and term limitless culture of DAP is unacceptable.

AES implementation has been suspended in Pakatan Rakyat controlled states for now.

ARTICLE 16

Demoguery? People slip in their postings. RPK slips far more often IMHO . . .

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Not all Chinese are interested in power for power’s sake, rather Chinese need the power to ensure Democracy as in the below 3 items, and also to prevent Hudud by weak minded seemingly insane Dhimmifiers of the world which UMNO is and UMNO having continued apatheid in Malaysia against minorities like the Chinese necessitates – THIS IS WHY the Chinese want to kick out the Malay Umno government NOT greed and lust (for money or as the poorly applied NLP indicates – sexuality which we all know RPK has issues about in the LGBT area, even though none are forcing their will on RPK . . . ) :

RPK should not display this lack of ability to differentiate between the types of Chinese who hold types of mindsets, and not just lump all Chinese into a single group – i.e. Lustful and Greedy. The Chinese? the entire Malay race is probably mixed-half-chinese/half-Orang Asli and RPK isn’t even truly ‘Malay’ anymore . . . stop ethnic profiling, and start reading the Human Rights Charter. Say with me . . . H-U-M-A-N- this is more difficult than teaching an Orang Utan to smoke or wear a monkey-suit. Lazy or senile? Or human rights unaware? Maybe all 3. Whats wrong with you RPK? RPK is getting less and less viable to challenge as an MP despite the finances and networks . . .

SINCE George Town received Unesco World Heritage Site (WHS) status in 2008, over RM46.3mil has been allocated to restoration work in four major heritage projects.

The most well-known of these heritage properties restored are the Choong Lye Hock mansion and the Loke Thye Kee building.

The other two restoration projects are by Asian Global Business (AGB) and Public Packages Holdings Bhd involving commercial offices and warehouses built in the early 20th century at Weld Quay and Church Street Ghaut.

The AGB Group is restoring two early 20th century commercial and warehouse properties to be an integrated RM220mil Rice Miller Hotel and Residences, which is an in-fill development project.

An in-fill development involves constructing a project from scratch.

The cost of restoring a heritage project depends on the quality of finishing used and normally ranges between RM300 and RM400 per sq ft.

Sometimes a company spends more for restoration because of the condition and age of the property.

A prime heritage property in George Town can fetch rental of between RM5 and RM10 per sq ft, which means that a 2,000 sq ft heritage property strategically located can generate a rental of RM10,000 to RM20,000 a month, according to Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) vice-president Shawn Ong.

The Choong Lye Hock mansion restoration project, located on 48,943 sq ft at Macalister Road, was undertaken by local businessman Datuk Sean H’ng and his wife Datin Karen H’ng.

The Choong Lye Hock mansion belonged to a tycoon and philanthropist, who bought the property in the late-1890s.

Lye Hock is the father of local millionaire Ch’ng Eng Hye and the grandfather of badminton legend Datuk Eddy Choong.

The restored building, now known as Macalister Mansion (MM), has eight hotel rooms, two restaurants called The Dining Room and The Living Room, and two bars called the Bagan Bar and The Den.

Macalister Mansion opened its doors to the public in April 2012.

According to MM public relations director Josephine Leong, the planning and the restoration work for the 17,286 sq ft mansion took about 20 months.

“This is corporate responsibility initiative project to demonstrate that old colonial buildings can be regenerated into useful and practical spaces with a contemporary feel.

“It took us 12 months to restore and reinforce the original columns, staircases and archways, original brick walls and wall cornices.

Leong says the Macalister Mansion project was more about a labour of love.

“The owners want to raise the bar in the boutique hotel scene in Penang. As global travellers, they would like to bring back that differentiated hotel experience where guests get to enjoy a more personalised and intimate level of service within luxurious surroundings,” Leong adds.

Raine & Horne Malaysia director Michael Geh says about RM2mil or about RM630 per sq ft was spent on restoring Loke Thye Kee, known as the oldest restaurant in Penang, at Burmah Road.

According to Geh, a local investment company, Loke Thye Kee.com, set up by Singaporean investors, bought the double-storey property from a local businessman some about six years ago.

“About two years, which included also the time to obtain the green light from the local authorities for renovation, was spent on restoring the building with approximately 3,200sq ft of built-up area.

“It has been leased to a local company called Food People Sdn Bhd, which plans to set up soon a Hainanese restaurant, and food and beverage outlets,” he says.

Known as the House of Happiness in Hainanese, the Loke Thye Kee restaurant was established by brothers Loy Kok Boon and Loy Kok Dai, who leased the building from local businessman and philanthropist Khoo Sian Ewe.

AGB Group spent RM21.5mil or RM860 per sq ft to restore two heritage commercial and warehouse properties built in the early 20th century at Weld Quay.

AGB chief executive officer Dr Noraini Abdullah says the restoration turned out to be costly because a lot of work had to be done for strengthening the physical buildings, as their conditions were bad.

“About RM16mil was spent for restoring and reinforcing the physical infrastructure of the warehouse building, which serves as the event hall of the Rice Miller Hotel.

“Another RM5.5mil was spent in restoring a 5,000 sq ft colonial commercial building that will serve as the restaurant for the Rice Miller Hotel,” she adds.

The Rice Miller Hotel and Residences project is scheduled for completion next August and scheduled for opening in Dec 2013.

It will comprise 48 hotel suites, 99 city residences, which range between 800 and 2,500 sq ft in built-up, 23 retail lots of 600 sq ft, and two blocks of five-storey office buildings.

“In the past 12 months, we have sold 50% of the retail lots and city residences. Most of the buyers comprise Penangites and investors from Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur,” she adds.

Next to the Rice Miller Hotel and Residences project, Public Packages Holdings Bhd (PPHB) is restoring two heritage double-storey commercial properties with over 39,632 sq ft to be integrated into a RM50mil in-fill heritage hotel cum commercial project located at Church Street Ghaut, off Beach Street, which is popularly known as the central banking district.

PPHB hotel project manager Tony Koay says the group would spend RM15.8mil or RM400 per sq ft to restore the two heritage properties with fittings.

“One of the heritage commercial building with 11,000sq ft will be restored as part of the in-fill heritage hotel.

“The other heritage property with 28,632sq ft will be restored for commercial and office usage,” he says.

Koay says the advantage of carrying out infill development work for the heritage hotel project was that one could maximise the interior of the buildings to suit the needs of modern business usage.

The cost per sq ft to develop a heritage hotel from scratch with furnishings is about RM1,000 per sq ft, says Koay.

“A problem with restoring a heritage building for hotel usage is that the interior of such heritage buildings restricts the utilisation of space,” he says.

Koay adds that the in-fill heritage hotel would have over 150,000 sq ft of built-up area, 150 rooms, a business centre, meeting rooms, two-level of basement car-park, and retail shops on the ground floor.

“The architectural style for the hotel follows the design of late 19th and early 20th century port offices and warehouse buildings in George Town.

“We are targeting the upmarket tourists,” Koay says.

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Dishonest 90% failed campaign promises DAP, now disingenuously posing as hardworking. 46 million could be used to file a lawsuit against the Federal Governnment for :

This restoration b.s. is just Business NGO work, or perhaps Architecture NGO work, and NOT Political party work. Whats a political party for? Fighting for human rights and equality, not pushing ‘restoration projects’ while clinging on to undemocratic nepotism or term limitlessness. Weak and undemocratic!

ARTICLE 18

Compelling ‘Malays’ to be Muslims: Why M’sians should support Nurul Izzah – written by Gavin Khoo – Monday, 05 November 2012 07:22

Politicians are known to be chameleons and most of them would tailor make their statements according to their audience. Not for Nurul Izzah, an emerging force within the party, Parti Keadilan Rakyat, which was founded to fight against Anwar Ibrahim’s persecution.

At a forum on “Islamic State: Which version; Who’s responsibility?”, she was reported to have said “People should not be compelled to adopt a particular religion and this should also apply to Malays.”

“When you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion… how can anyone say sorry, this (religious freedom) only applies to non-Malays, it has to apply equally.” she said.

She was responding to a question from the floor on whether Malays should have religious freedom like non-Malays.

“Malay” is defined under Section 160(2) of the federal constitution as a person who professes Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language and conforms to Malay customs.

Ultimately, she said, what should be sought is “quality” where Muslims’ faith is strong.

“Even me, being schooled in Assunta (secondary school) with a huge cross in the hall and an active singing Catholic society did not influence me,” she said.

However, Nurul Izzah stopped short of saying that Malays should be legally granted religious freedom, saying: “I am, of course, tied to the prevailing views.”

The position she espouses is unprecedented especially when she is a Muslim and she needs the support of largely Muslim voters in her constituency. She is probably facing one of the toughest political fights in her short political life against a much more established candidate, a federal minister, who has much more resources than what she could have mustered before the next GE.

We need a leader a leader who speaks from her own conscience as a democrat and a proponent of universal human rights. She sees a bigger picture than most leaders who would adopt a narrow religious interpretation which can be manipulated for their own political benefit.

Nurul did not attempt any of these cheap political stunts. She speaks up as a democrat, a true Muslim who holds firmly to her faith and a leader who reaches out to soothe the fear of her fellow Muslims against an often manipulated sense of inferiority and threats against their faith.

For this, Straight Talk would like to urge voters in her constituency, Lembah Pantai, to return her moderate voice and outstanding leadership to the 13th Malaysian Parliament.

NLP Warning about the title first – Though the writers may claim bad grammar : Compelling ‘Malays’ to be Muslims: Why M’sians should support Nurul Izzah makes the title of the article an NLP intended to sound like Malaysians should support Nurul BECAUSE of Compulsions of ‘Malays’ (one more NLP here, Malays in quotes can be misread to mean those considered by not actually Malays – subverted minorities perhaps?) to be Muslims.

Otherwise a spot of good news and a slight shift to actual moderation, though structurally and policy wise, still nothing here. Statements hold no water. Laws being changed, and constitutional amendments forwarded for ratification at Parliament at very least do. ‘Congrats’ (being sarcastic) at FINALLY reaching UFO/Bigfoot sighting level. Thats 33.3% and still a fail, though at least 1 PKR person bothered to apply for the exam (made a press statement) but didn’t turn up (no attempt to formalise in law/constitutional amendment) . . . whats the MP seat for? Making statements only? Is Nurul just a blogger or a media outlet and with NLP’s considered is Gavin and Khoo in cahoots with Nurul for more Islamic agendas or inmtentionally trying to demonise Nurul with misrepresentation via NLP titles?

Article 18 of the UN Human Rights charter for the Malays, and Article 1 of the UN Human Rights charter for the minorites, 3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution. (Surah An Nisa 4:75) MEANS Bumiputra Special Privileges ENDS . . . not empty talk. Also, nepotism issues still loom, but there will be plenty of time for that later. 2 term limits, and at 23K a month, thats 540K in 2 years! Let someone earn a living at that seat why don’t you or lower that salary to no more than 3 times annual average wage for Malaysia (around 3-4K a mont) . . . then GTFO after 2 terms, so do whatever is worth doing before 3rd force sweeps the back and forth out of the Dewan! This was responded to with Jamil Khir’s racist rant in below link.

More Article 16 type inability to differentiate AGAIN. Equality is not inconceivable. But those who do not gove others their spaces are unconscionable a create a culture of strife. The above Youtube vid is correct to a point but does some form of ‘lumping’ as well.

Equality is not inconceivable. But those who do not gove others their spaces via legal rights (do not disenfranchise minorities) are unconscionable and create a culture of strife. The above Youtube vid is correct to a point but does some form of ‘lumping’ as well, as not all Muslims will tolerate the lack of :

Ahmad Abd Jalil is being investigated over allegedly seditious remarks he had made against the Johor Sultan on his Facebook page. – Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — The family members of Ahmad Abd Jalil, who was arrested on Friday for insulting the Johor Sultan, is pleading with the police not to permit the palace authorities to haul the youth to the royal house for an apology.

The family, responding to talks that Ahmad may be brought personally before the Sultan to apologise for his remarks, expressed fear today over the safety of the 27-year-old if he were to be taken to the palace.

According to an SMS from Ahmad’s sister to one of the family’s lawyer late last night, the police had told her mother that, “if the palace calls, they (the police) would be forced to bring Ahmad to face the Sultan”.

“If they want my son to apologise, bring him to court. Once he enters someone else’s territory, anything can happen and we wouldn’t know who to blame,” Ahmad’s father Abd Jalil Abd Rahman told The Malaysian Insider today.

“Everyone has to respect the due process of the law. And if they want to take my son to court to extract an apology, then so be it.

“Do not force him into palace custody where we have no control over. We are Penangites. We are not used to having a Sultan and we have heard many horror stories. This is our right,” he added.

The 60-year-old former government servant said the police have so far refused all attempts by his family to visit Ahmad, who was arrested in Kuala Lumpur at 8pm on Friday and transferred into the Johor police custody the same night.

As at noon today, Abd Jalil said he will be meeting with the investigating officer in Ahmad’s case.

“We hope to have a positive outcome from the meeting… I just want to see my son,” he said, adding that if it would look bad on the police if they were to forbid him from doing so.

In an SMS to The Malaysian Insider, Ahmad’s older brother agreed with his father in saying that the youth must be kept safely away from the palace compound.

“It is wrong to extract him from the balai/lokap to anywhere. We an apologise but thru proper procedures. Ahmad will apologise openly at court.

“Otherwise, we condone that the system is being used as ‘mode of ugutan (threat)’,” he said in the text message.

Ahmad is being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, believed to be over allegedly seditious remarks he had made against the Johor Sultan on his Facebook page.

He was picked up from his office at around 8pm in Cheras yesterday by several plainclothes policemen before he was brought to the Wangsa Maju police station for questioning.

According to Ahmad’s lawyer Mohd Zakwan Adenan yesterday, the youth was at first not informed of his offence, except that he was allegedly being investigated under the Sedition Act 1948.

“They said they wanted to charge him under the Sedition Act for remarks he made on Facebook but when we asked the police which statement they were referring to, they could not answer,” he said.

Section 4(1) stipulates that any person who utters, prints or publishes any seditious words, on conviction, would be liable for a first offence to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.

After interrogating him for several hours at the Wangsa Maju police station yesterday, the police raided Ahmad’s parents’ house in Damansara Damai before taking the youth with them to Johor.

At 3pm yesterday, Ahmad was taken before a Johor magistrate by the police to obtain a three-day remand order.

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The reverse could be said of having the case in Penang and the more urban areas of Malaysia, where the animosity towards all Sultans (who due to tacit approval pf Bumiputra Apartheid contributes in substantial measure to this sort of disafffection, or in some uncommon cases heavy monopoly like involvement in business sectors . . .) could be intentionally used to dismiss the case intentionally to make a salient point about apartheid (minorities) or absolutism (non/anti-royalist Malays) rather than to administer justice which in this case should be an equitable apology to the the measure of insult offered on the social networking site.

Malaysian judges and the legal system in Malaysia are not impartial, and always are politically motivated rather than professionalism or justice motivated, as much as the Bar Council does not address the lack of :

;for the Bar Council’s own political or financial (contract) based profit. I had written on the apartheid issue to every individual Sultan before and had no response whatsoever. Perhaps the letters were intercepted as so many other communications might have been. And due this, or simply crypto-racism, if not authoritarianism on the part of the palace officials if not the post service’s racists or lapdogs, I received no response on the matter whatsoever, as any civil society might have and issues like the above continue to mar relations between the intended as symbolic rulers and and the masses. Stature and privilege should be enough to even ignore this sort of insult, the palace certainly has the resources to unofficially argue back without getting directly involved but from the looks of this sandiwara which might well have ulterior motives of sounding out the populace’s less well written (also less well read) to identify those who are against the palace, which has chosen to get directly involved instead.

Self-driving cars are now street legal in California – by Tecca | Today in Tech

The state’s governor signs into law a bill explicitly allowing smart vehicles like the ones being developed by Google.

California has become the third state to welcome driverless cars with open arms. Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law today that officially legalized self-driving vehicles, following in the footsteps of Nevada and Florida. The signing event was held at the Google complex in Mountain View, Calif. where engineers have been working on driverless car concepts for years and employees routinely use them to commute to and from work.

Such vehicles weren’t technically illegal to operate before passage of the bill, but Google and others working on similar technology hope that by making their use explicitly legal it will clear up any confusion on the part of law enforcement and limit the chance they might be disallowed in the future. California’s bill reportedly contains fewer restrictions on the cars’ use than other states, such as Nevada where each vehicle must log a certain amount of testing hours before hitting the open road, but the door is open for potential regulations to be amended at a later date.

Google believes that smart cars will prove to be much safer than those with human drivers, in part because they won’t need to worry about distractions and typical reaction times. That belief was given some validity this summer when the search giant revealed that its driverless cars had completed 300,000 miles of testing without a single incident.

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Thats the end of the chauffer’s job and the driving lessons for most of the middle and lower wealth classes, but lives of such users will be in the hands of the AI programmers. Non-Orwellian offenders need not bother, but anyone in 3rd world states had best avoid the system until some form or assurances are given. Potential for sabotage is immense.

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (AP) — Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled a solar-powered charging station on Monday that it said will make refueling electric vehicles on long trips about as fast as stopping for gas and a bathroom break in a conventional car.

CEO Elon Musk said at a news conference at the company’s design studio that the company’s roadside Supercharger has been installed at six highway rest stops in California.

The innovation is “the answer to the three major problems that are holding back electrical vehicles, or at least people think are holding back electrical vehicles,” Musk said before a curtain was lifted from a giant model of one of the devices. “One is this question of being able to drive long distances conveniently.”

The free stations are designed to fully charge Tesla’s new Model S sedan in about an hour, and a half-hour-long charge can produce enough energy for a 150-mile trip, he said.

The first six, which were developed and deployed in secret, are in Barstow, Hawthorne, Lebec, Coalinga, Gilroy and Folsom. Tesla spokeswoman Christina Ra said they are open only to company employees, but would be available to the public in early October.

Musk said his Palo Alto-based company planned to have more stations running throughout California and in parts of Nevada and Oregon by the end of the year, and expected to blanket “almost the entire United States” within two years.

Tesla unveiled the Model S, its first mass-market vehicle, in June. The base model costs sells for $49,900 after a federal tax credit.

Along with persuading consumers that electric vehicles are practical, the charging stations were developed with an eye toward alleviating doubts about their environmental effects. Musk said the solar-powered stations in California would produce more clean energy than is needed to keep cars running.

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With solar power, the reliance on oil and coal also ‘terrorist’ states will end. Green and ends funding for terror. Well UN? Make that bulk order of solar panels from China now! Enrich those manufacturers instead of dangerous people who hate the 1st world and freedom!

The M200G Volantor will fly around 50mph and cost about $90,000. The Moller M200G Hover-Car In Production and Selling for ~$125k

oller International, creators of that stunning red flyingcar prototype seen web-wide, has started production on the M200G, the consumer-ready derivative of the M200X volantor, and is readying the machine for the open market. Depending on engine costs, the M200G will cost between $90,000-$125,000.

According to the press release, the machine can hover 10 feet off the ground and cruises at a speed of 50 mph. Because the M200G is classified as a recreation device and not an aircraft, it is not subject to FAA regulations and anybody can operate one. No official release date has been announced.

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Contact TataNano or some Chinese firm with lost cost labour and get those prices down to 2.5K. Then build family size and limousine form versions or even bus sized versions. This flying car should destroy the overpriced ground car market, end traffic problems, end the need to build and maintain roads, as well as end the aviation industry permanently.

Abit more aesthetic, probably larger.

ARTICLE 4

Road tax facing the axe… but before you celebrate, it is likely to be replaced by pay-as-you drive tolls – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 10:08 GMT, 23 September 2012 | UPDATED: 10:08 GMT, 23 September 2012

Transport Minister warns of new pricing for every mile travelled
Drivers who use their cars less will be winners in future
Government figures show 50 per cent cut in fuel revenues by 2030

The newspaper has seen graphs produced by the Treasury’s Office for Budget Responsibility which show that revenues from fuel duty will almost halve by 2030.

Receipts will fall from 1.8 per cent as a share of GDP in 2010 to 1 per cent by 2030.

Mr Baker claimed that the cost to average motorist would not be higher and wants a ‘revenue neutral’ road tax revolution.

He said there could be system of charging motorists per mile which would be matched by axing road tax and cutting the price of petrol at the pumps.

His comments were described as ‘hugely significant’ by Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport.

He told the Sunday Express: ‘It’s one of those political realities that no one has been prepared to talk about, so all credit to Norman for raising it, but there are clearly going to be big political acceptability issues.’

But Paul Watters, head of roads policy at the AA, said his members do not trust Governments on ‘revenue neutral’ road pricing.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

If enough voters vote for MPs who will remove BOTH road tax AND drive tolls, then both will not exist. The country is molded bny the peoples hopes and dreams. In this case freedom of movement without hughway robbery.

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls “for the US to establish a firm ‘red line’ that Iran’s nuclear program can’t cross without risking a military response,” and the West is marched ever closer to war with the Islamic Republic based on tired and repeated lies, three important points must be kept in mind.

Image: Israeli Prime Minister has been granted air-time to dictate US foreign policy to American viewers in the latest indication that interests other than those of the American people drive American destiny. Make no mistake, however; Netanyahu is not in America to represent the Israeli people, but rather the same corporate-financier interests of Wall Street and London that created and sustain him politically.

1. The US and Israel admit in their own policy papers that Iran threatens Western hegemony, not Western security (let alone survival):

The very engineers of US-Israeli policy to subvert and destroy Iran, detailed in the 156-page “Which Path to Persia?” report out of the corporate-financier funded Brookings Institution, admit that Iran threatens not the security of Israel or the United States, but the hegemonic geopolitical order the West maintains over the Middle East.

In March 2012’s “Israel & US: Partners in International Crime,” direct quotes from the “Which Path to Persia?” report, as well as excerpts from RAND Corporation documents and else where illustrate these admissions in their entirety.

2. The US and Israel already struck first:

By using US State Department-listed foreign terror organization (#30) Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) , the US and Israel have been waging years of covert war against the Iranian people.

In March 2012’s “US State Department Hands Terror-Cult US Base in Iraq,” the history of MEK as well as advocacy for supporting its terrorist activities inside of Iran is exposed through a series of Western-media reports, government testimony, and US foreign policy papers.

In February 2012’s “US Implausibly Denies Role in Israeli Terror Squads,” reports of both US officials admitting Israel’s backing of MEK terrorists to carry out assassinations inside of Iran, as well as evidence of US support for MEK are exposed.

It should be remembered that political and military subversion of Iran by the West stretches back to “Operation Ajax” in 1953, where the United States and the British overthrew the democratically elected nationalist government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.

This violent subversion played out long before the current political order in Iran came to power. Iran has been the subject of sovereignty-violating foreign intervention for over half a century – with the West long ago drawing first blood, and continuing to do so up to present day through admitted campaigns of political, economic, and military subversion.

3. Israel’s current leaders have Wall Street-London hegemony, not Israel’s self-preservation, at heart:

Perhaps the greatest myth in regards to US-Israeli policy toward Iran is that it is driven by concerns for national security and the survival of the “Jewish State” of Israel. In reality, the overall foreign policy pursued by Israel’s government has demonstrably run contra to both the Israeli people’s survival and their own prosperity. The Israeli government’s posture toward Iran is perhaps the most dangerous and unhinged manifestation of this.

In August 2012’s “Israel’s Netanyahu Attempts to Shame UN,” it was reported that, “the Israeli government is the greatest enemy of the Israeli people,” because:

Western corporate-financier oligarchs have done more to send both Americans and Israelis to their deaths than any combination of suicide belt-wearing, Kalashnikov-waving ‘terrorists.’ The ‘War on Terror’ is indeed a fraud, and Israel’s government has masterfully played a pivotal role – maintaining a strategy of tension to keep its own people in perpetual fear, while keeping their perceived enemies in perpetual and absolute rage. When enemies are difficult to find, the government of Israel and its corporate-financier backers upon Wall Street and in the city of London create them, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas (and here), and Al Qaeda.

The result is a nation at constant war, with an inexhaustible supply of enemies in an unending conflict giving the interests of Wall Street and London – the very interests that created the modern state of Israel to begin with – an excuse to remain perpetually engaged in the Middle East with a military encampment the size of a nation at their constant disposal.

Augmenting this camp are the Israeli people themselves, just as lied to, manipulated, and kept in constant fear as their counterparts in the West to keep the rank and file of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) as full as Wall Street’s American Armed Forces or Europe’s NATO foot soldiers.

The Israeli people are no less well-intentioned, talented, or full of potential as any other people on Earth, but they are likewise just as susceptible to being indoctrinated, misled, and terrorized into taking a course of action in no way beneficial to themselves or their nation. The Israeli government does not pursue a foreign or domestic policy conducive to its own self-preservation, let alone its prosperity as a nation.

Constant warmongering, meddling geopolitically beyond its borders, and the creation and perpetuation of its alleged ‘enemies’ have indeed killed more Israelis than any ‘terrorist.’ The Israeli government and the corporate-financier interests they represent are the Israeli people’s worst enemy. It would be wise for both the Israeli people, and those who perceive themselves to be ‘enemies of Israel’ to remember that and make a clear distinction when moving forward.

Israel should be enjoying standards of living and prosperity amongst the highest on Earth considering Israel’s extensive human resources, but is instead facing austerity and economic hardship as the collective talent and potential of the Israeli people are squandered in the pursuit of armed corporate-financier hegemony instead of peaceful progress. The same could be easily said of the United States, whose vast military supremacy and geographic location makes its narrative of “Iran, the imminent threat” all the more tenuous.

To depict Iran as an irrational enemy of Judaism, rather than simply a rational nation-state responding to and defending against the decades of provocations carried out by the West and its Israeli proxies, does not hold historical or social water. Iran hosts the largest Jewish population in the Middle East outside of Israel itself, with an ancient and proud Jewish community that has both refused to leave Iran, as well as condemn it for the benefit of Western propaganda campaigns.

Conclusion

PM Netanyahu’s latest propaganda tour of the US is nothing less than a blatant conspiracy against world peace – the premeditated fabrication of a war that puts at risk hundreds of millions of people and the survival of both Israel and Iran itself. Netanyahu and his corporate-financier compatriots hope that fear, terror, and ignorance prevail long before all the myths, lies, and propaganda wear off and the populations of the respective nations involved, Iran, America, and Israel, come to their senses and identify their real enemy – the corporate-financier elite who have driven half a century of conflict with the Iranian people.

When these myths wear off, it will not be wars and the pursuit of hegemony that guide the hands of each nation’s respective people, but a drive to both free themselves from the monopolies of thesecorporate-financier interests, and the pursuit of progress on their own terms, for their own benefit rather than for a manipulative elite.

Tony Cartalucci’s articles have appeared on many alternative media websites, including his own at
Land Destroyer Report. Read other contributed articles by Tony Cartalucci here.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Netanyahu’s government will simply be voted out and a peaceful coalition voted in. Israel is a fraction the size and population of Iran. there is no way the USA is going to put their neck that far out into the Middle East when USA can’t even consolidate (colonise) Iraq. And with the hive minded Muslims (no turban or bee puns please) and Russia or China, and even Pakistan or India lurking in the background, USA cannot afford to get involved. Israel should be able to see this. Perhaps Israel should try to help USA COLONISE Iraq properly for a minimal 3 decades of a controlled Iraq first, THEN consider Iran. Otherwise no go without USA becoming beholden to Russia or others in the region. USA cannot want that so Netanyahu’s faction had better wake up.

ARTICLE 6

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen calls for ban on wearing of the Jewish skullcap in public – ‘in the name of equality’ – By Peter Allen – PUBLISHED: 16:55 GMT, 23 September 2012 | UPDATED: 18:01 GMT, 23 September 2012

Ban on full-face coverings – including the Islamic veil – came into force in France last year
Marine Le Pen is now calling for a ban on all religious headgear, as well as kosher and halal food in schools

‘What would people say if I only asked to ban Muslim clothing? They would burn me as a Muslim hater’

Far right politician Marine Le Pen has caused outrage across France by calling for the banning of the Jewish skullcap in public.

The leader of National Front won a fifth of the popular vote during the first round of May’s presidential election on a largely anti-Muslim immigration agenda.

Now in an interview she has called not just for a ban on the wearing of Islamic veils in public, but also the kippah – leading to France’s most senior Rabbi to describe her view as ‘deeply deplorable’.

Her inflammatory words come at a time of heightened tensions caused by a Paris satirical magazine’s decision to publish a series of cartoons mocking both Islam and Judaism.

One of the images in Charlie Hebdo shows a Prophet Mohammed character being pushed around in a wheelchair by a Rabbi.

Ms Le Pen told Le Monde that all religious headwear should be banned ‘in shops, on public transport and on the streets’.

‘It’s obvious that if the veil is banned, the kippah should be banned in public as well,’ she said. The French parliament passed a ban on full-face coverings, including the Islamic veil in 2010 and the law came into force last year.

Miss Le Pen, whose infamous father Jean-Marie Le Pen is a convicted racist and anti-Semite, also called for a ban on public prayers.

And she said kosher and halal foods should be outlawed in schools, along with foreign governments being allowed to pay for mosques.

‘Jewish skullcaps are obviously not a problem in our country,’ she said, insisting nevertheless that France has to ‘ban them in the name of equality’.

‘The situation in our country has changed. We used to have a fragile balance between religions, but massive immigration has changed that,’ Ms Le Pen said.

‘Veils and jilbabs are putting us under pressure. France is a victim of sectarian political groups due to the ruling parties’ incapacity to deal with the problem.

‘What would people say if I had only asked to ban Muslim clothing? They would burn me as a Muslim hater.’

President Francois Hollande attacked Ms Le Pen’s comments.

‘Everything that tears people apart, opposes them and divides them is inappropriate,’ he said. ‘We must apply the rules, the only rules that we know – the rules of the Republic and secularism.’
Religious headgear: The kippah, or yarmulke, is usually worn by Orthodox or Hasidic Jews who believe the head must be covered at all times

Religious headgear: The kippah, or yarmulke, is usually worn by Orthodox or Hasidic Jews who believe the head must be covered at all times

On Friday Mr Hollande opened a new Holocaust memorial in Paris, commemorating the thousands of Jews who were sent to their deaths after being held at the Drancy internment camp.

The camp was run by French policemen working alongside the SS, and rolling stock from France’s national railway, SNCF, was used to take victims to Germany.

Mr Cope said: ‘Marine Le Pen wants to ban any signs of religion on the streets, starting with the veil and the kippah.

‘By doing this, she shows she does not understand anything about secularism. Secularism is not about the eradication of all religious expressions in society.’

Gilles Bernheim, France’s Chief Rabbi, said: ‘Mixing up the tradition of the skullcap and the veil only generates more confusion in people’s minds. I deeply deplore her statement.’

And Richard Prasquier, leader of the CRIF Jewish council in France, said the Ms Le Pen’s claims showed there were ‘secular fanatics just as there are religious fanatics’.

‘Obviously, I am hostile to both,’ he said.

The CFCM, France’s main Muslim council, meanwhile said that Le Pen wanted to ‘set up a totalitarian regime in France.’

There are around half-a-million Jews in France, many of them living in major cities like Paris, where skull caps have been a familiar sight for centuries.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

How about allowing everything instead of allowing nothing? Bring back the Hijab if Nudists are to also be legal. Like hijabs, if skullcaps are illegal Orwellian government will be what France degenerates into if anything is disallowed, much like the way Malaysia persecutes LGBT culture and practises APARTHEID against near 40% of the population for not being Muslim and not being ethnic Malay.

Set an example of Malaysia as a bad Islamist country, not be punitive, but do condemn and bar from France, Malaysian MPs or even Trade Delegations and even close Malaysian Embassies, who have accepted apartheid or cause apartheid to continue out of sheer hate. One does not have to do the wrong thing to make a point, the right thing though would be to pointedly shame the offending governments at the UN and withdraw the embassies, or make public lists of ‘pariah’ nations or ‘pariah officials who will not be allowed entry into France and the rest of the free world.

That will be better than attacking local citizens who have nothing to do with extremism but wish to be ‘markedly Muslim’ as is their UN human right, much like adult industry or sub-culturist activists in Malaysia need their RLDs, LGBT lifestyles, Nudist Colonies and END OF APARTHEID. Le Pen should know that it’s not impossible to be far right yet not be on the right side of logic. Would Marine Le Pen like to address Malaysia about the lack of :

;and let those minorities be as Jewish or Muslim as they please? Much like the LGBTs would like to be as campy or the Adult Industry goers/workers would like to be as dacadent as well but do not have proper zones for their activities and can be punished for activities in private properties. A civilisational discussion perhaps?

And if the Muslims identified as trying to dhimmify, do black ball all those who have received degrees from 1st world countries by getting the UN to recommend removing their degrees, their society memberships, using the above suggested methods as well – along with barring them from entering France and naming the same offending people in open lists at UN for being undemocratic domestic terrorists in their own countries.

Malaysia currently is and unconscionably a member of the Human Rights Council, would France like to have Malaysia removed from the Human Rights Council for causing APARTHEID or attacking LGBT rights or oppressing the rights of Adult Industry workers and Adult Industry operators and users, even Organic Psychedelics (suggest zones or ‘using’ areas over seen by local enforcement) users in Malaysia?

Removing Malaysia from UN access because of contravening articles in the UN signatory list? Bar Council in Malaysia has been a disappointment so far, I hope Marine Le Pen will use the above method which is fairer to Muslims and Jews in France and targets the offending persons instead.

The hypno-induced psychotic public can’t even hear the war drums any more, no matter how loud and obvious. They’re intoxicated with intense, repetitive and confusing war propaganda and images of overthrown dictatorships that have only given birth to more chaos.

But that’s OK in La La land.

All the distracted dystopian subjects can hear is that for some reason American boots march unopposed into far regions of the world, protecting liberty and democracy.

So “keep up the good work, boys. Honey, put the game back on, I have to go to f*ing work in the morning and this is my only chance to think…..”
WW3 Conditioning Complete – They Won’t See It Coming

Such is today’s surreal world environment. 11 years of genocidal wars and now these latest barbaric atrocities have made their inroads even broader, not just in the middle east but in the human mind. And as they continue their saber rattling and massive propaganda campaigns, little do people realize these globalist warmongers are garnering a tsunami of unspoken public permission with each passing day.

What few are realizing is that war with Iran will no doubt initiate at least a limited nuclear conflagration, the effects of which will change history forever. Diabolically couched as a preemptive strike on a rogue nation to save Israel and US interests, such a move will inevitably draw China and Russia into the conflict.

Don’t think so? When you come to realize that’s exactly what they want in the end, that’s when you’ll know you’re waking up.

When you know a New World Order is the desired outcome, you realize the old world order needs to be debunked, crippled, smashed and reset.

Our global financial and economic structure has been effectively brought to the brink. Sovereignty is being scuttled worldwide, and the population is taking to the streets.

Need I say more?

The Dire Straights of Hormuz

Since the highly charged first years of OPEC the strategic Straight of Hormuz have been a hot button issue, with scenario after scenario envisioned that would drastically affect the planet.

It’s true.

If they were cut off it would undoubtedly precipitate a crisis. For everyone. And drastic action would be broadcast as inherently justified.

Current news reeks of this pre-framed scenario. It’s been going on for a long, long time..this article is from 5 years ago!

U.S. Vice Admiral Kevin J. Cosgriff speaks to journalists in Bahrain, Monday, June 30, 2008. Cosgriff said that any attempt by Iran to seal off the Strait of Hormuz would be viewed as an act of war.

Newser – Is Washington, or its Israeli allies, really ready to attack Iran? “The threats, counterthreats, and counter-counterthreats … have reached new levels of hysteria in recent days,” Dana Milbank writes in the Washington Post. Rumblings of an Israeli strike prompted Tehran threats to close oil-shipping lanes. That would be an “act of war,” declared one US admiral—a statement superiors didn’t back down from.

President Bush reiterated that “all options are on the table,” while the State Department said it couldn’t deter Israel. Dick Cheney’s daughter Liz was more direct, saying: “The Iranians have to believe that we will use force.” So is this a bluff? And could it lead to real war? “It is high stakes,” the chairman of the Joint Chiefs says. “I’d just leave it at that.” Source

Long Time Coming…

The concept of a third world war is rife in historical data and even prophetic writings from the likes of Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Jean Dixon, throughout the Bible and even heavily reinforced by those who study the Bible code.

A host of political science analysts who track these trends have also seen this coming. Below is Webster Tarpley, respected researcher and author, on the insanity of the very real possibility of a Third World War.

Be Prepared

Any way you look at it, be forewarned and prepared emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and practically.

While a nuclear world war seems an unlikely horror that sane men and women would want to avoid at any cost, a quick look at history, and especially current events, shows something very ugly and aggressive is marching towards a self defined goal that does not represent you and me. It’s their design, and apparently must be done at any cost.

That, my friend, is a fact of life in the world we’re living in. However, we are conscious humanity and we will triumph despite the death throes they are willing to put themselves and the innocent people of the earth through.

Don’t Despair

We’re all here for a purpose and it’s really a wonderful time to be alive. Only not facing the truth will bring on trauma in the days to come. As we participate in this amazing consciousness shift and spiritual awakening that’s taking place and realize the empowerment it gives us, the very reality of this planet will continue to change.

Their tool is fear, to keep us preoccupied and distracted and living in their projected reality. Turn it completely off.

If we stop participating, stop conforming through fearing and fixating on their projected assaults of their visual and mental states, and separate and expose their falseness, love and truth will manifest in increasingly amazing ways. And each of us then becomes a vessel to help enliven and encourage the brave souls we have the privilege to be with on this wonderful journey!

Nukes are lazy, non-tactics based, and irradiative. Try block to block wars with small arms instead. Build better moral and infantry elitism. The other option is to fly an ‘Independence Day’ sized series of ‘UFOs’ equipped with the Active Denial System and park above ALL cities. Not much of a fight either but less loss of life. Since the ‘Total Recall’ (1990 Paul Verhoeven) ‘Richter’ types would prefer mass cullings of the herd on either side though, small arms will probably appeal to the US mindset.

England would use the Active Denial system being all Orwellian and b.s., though carpet bombing with conventionals to the stone age would be just fine as well. But nukes? No thanks. Thats a worldwide ecologgical and humanity suicide scenario from fallout. No slaves to rule, no lands to divvy up for 50K years potentially? Whats the point?

ARTICLE 8

The Pokemon Plot: How One Cartoon Inspired the Army to Dream Up a Seizure Gun – by Spencer Ackerman – September 26, 2012 |

The 1997 episode of Pokemon that triggered hundreds of seizures — and stoked the dreams of Army technologists. Photo: via YouTube

In 1998, a secret Army intelligence analysis suggested a new way to take out enemies: blast them with electromagnetic energy until their brains overload and they start to convulse. Amazingly, it was an idea inspired by a Pokemon episode.

Application of “electromagnetic pulses” could force neurons to all fire at once, causing a “disruption of voluntary muscle control,” reads a description of a proposed seizure weapon, contained in a declassified document from the Army’s National Ground Intelligence Center. “It is thought by using a method that would actually trigger nerve synapses directly with an electrical field, essentially 100% of individuals would be susceptible to seizure induction.”

This wasn’t the only method the Center suggested for taking down combatants. Other exotic, less-lethal weapons included a handheld laser gun for close-range “antiterrorist special operations roles”; a “flood” of network traffic that could overload servers and “elicit a panic in the civilian population”; and radio frequencies that could manipulate someone’s body temperature and “mimic a fever.”

The military needed weapons like these because TV news had hamstrung the military’s traditional proclivities to kill its way to victory: It now lived in a world where “You don’t win unless CNN says you win,” the report lamented. But while the Pentagon still laments the impact of the 24/7 news cycle on the U.S. military, it hardly thinks less-lethal weapons are a solution to it. In fact, the U.S. has kept most of its electromagnetic arsenal off of the battlefield, in part because the idea of invisible pain rays would sound so bad coming out of an anchor’s mouth.

Danger Room acquired this secret study on nonlethal technologies thanks to a private citizen, who filed a Freedom of Information Act request, and now wishes to remain anonymous. By coincidence, Sharon Weinberger wrote a 2008 Danger Room report after independently acquiring a piece of the document – an addendum that described using a “Voice of God” weapon, powered by radio waves, to “implant” a suggestion in someone else’s mind. It wasn’t even close to the strangest suggestion made for exotic weaponry.

Perhaps the most disturbing item on the Army’s nonlethal wish list: a weapon that would disrupt the chemical pathways in the central nervous system to induce a seizure. The idea appears to have come from an episode of Pokemon.

The idea is that seizure would be induced by a specific electrical stimulus triggered through the optic nerve. “The onset of synchony and disruption of muscular control is said to be near instantaneous,” the 1997 Army report reads. “Excitation is directly on the brain.” And “100% of the population” is supposed to be susceptible to the effects — from distances of “up to hundreds of meters” — “[r]ecovery times are expected to be consistent with, or more rapid than, that which is observed in epileptic seizures.”

That’s not a lot of time — the Army’s analysis noted that a grand-mal seizure typically lasts between one and five minutes. But the analysis speculated that the seizure weapons could be “tunable with regard to type and degree of bodily influence” and affect “100% of the population.” Still, it had to concede, “No experimental evidence is available for this concept.”

The document cautioned that the effectiveness of incapacitating a human nervous system with an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) “has not been tested.” But the analysis speculated that “50 to 100 kV/m free field of very sharp pulses” would likely be “sufficient to trigger neurons or make them more susceptible to firing.” And a weapon that harnessed an EMP-induced seizure could conceivably work from “hundreds of miles” away. The idea might as well have been stamped “As Seen on TV.”

“The photic-induced seizure phenomenon was borne out demonstrably on December 16, 1997 on Japanese television when hundreds of viewers of a popular cartoon were treated, inadvertently, to photic seizure induction,” the analysis noted. That cartoon was Pokemon, and the incident received worldwide attention. About 700 viewers showed symptoms of epilepsy — mostly vomiting — an occasional, if strange, occurrence with TV shows and videogames due to rapid, flashing lights.

The Army’s interest in the technology doesn’t appear to have gone anywhere. When Danger Room asked the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, the command overseeing the Pentagon’s weapons that can’t kill you, if they had ever developed or explored developing an EMP seizure ray, spokeswoman Kelley Hughes flatly replied, “No.” But at a minimum, it’s bizarre that the U.S. military would entertain the idea of neurological weaponry.

The seizure ray was just one of several futuristic nonlethal weapons the National Ground Intelligence Center envisioned. Another favorite: “handheld laser weapons” for blasting focused light against nearby terrorists. These weren’t supposed to be the sorts of lasers that can burn through steel — after all, nearly 15 years after the Army intel report, the Navy still doesn’t have a laser cannon small enough to mount on a ship. The “point and shoot” lasers were supposed to be dazzlers, to disrupt sensors or even blind assailants from up to 50 meters away. Alas, the paper lamented, causing “permanent blindness” was prohibited by binding international treaties, so development of handheld dazzlers would likely be restricted. (As it would turn out, “gross mismanagement” by U.S. military bureaucracy would be the larger obstacle.)

Then came the cyberweapons. The Army intel report presciently predicted using “information technology as a nonlethal weapon.” It had in mind “a campaign to disrupt a nation’s infrastructure so that they feel they are not ready for a formal conflict.” No, the Army wasn’t thinking of any kind of proto-Stuxnet. It had in mind sending torrents of traffic to “flood” foreign servers until “a panic in the civilian population,” now without internet access, “persuades the [adversary] military not to execute a planned attack.” Pay attention, Darpa and U.S. Cyber Command. Alternatively, the military might disrupt an enemy’s ability to control its forces by flooding the internet with tons of inaccurate information — “either through distribution of disinformation or illegally altering web pages to spread disinformation.” It isn’t clear if the report meant to restrict that “illegal” activity to foreign web pages.

And then came the fever. The report speculated that blasts of radio frequency waves could “mimic a fever” to the point of incapacitating an enemy. (“No organs are damaged,” it assured.) “Core temperatures of approximately 41 degrees Celsius are considered to be adequate” — the equivalent of a 105.8 degree fever, which is frighteningly close to inducing a coma or brain damage.

The idea would involve a “highly sophisticated microwave assembly” that could induce “carefully monitored uniform heating” in “15 to 30 minutes,” depending on someone’s weight and the wavelengths employed. “The subjective sensations caused by this buildup of heat are far more unpleasant than those accompanying fever,” the report assured. Yet the military would have to be careful not to cause any “permanent” organ damage with such a weapon — which would take careful monitoring, as the report noted that increasing someone’s body temperature a single degree Celsius beyond the envisioned 42 degrees would probably be fatal.

As it turned out, the military would develop a microwave weapon — the Active Denial System. That’s a microwave gun that, as I learned first-hand one fateful afternoon, makes victims feel like they’ve stepped into a blast furnace. But its frequencies are too shallow to penetrate the skin, and can’t even pop a bag of popcorn. (It’s been tried.) Still, the idea of being heated with something like that for 15 minutes to a half hour is unbearable: I lasted maybe two seconds before my reflexes forced me to jump out of the way of its beam. And in 2010, the device was recalled from Afghanistan when commanders realized it was a PR nightmare. It has one of the many downsides to these weapons that the Army’s 1998 that report didn’t consider. Of course, few things age worse than predictions for the future.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

They will get the telco grids on the ground to broadcast these waves instead. The entire telco grid likely can be shifted for this use and hapless governments are building or allowing these telco grids to be built. The weapons need not be mounted on a craft, the weapons are already there in almost every Wiifi or cellphone covered area across the world and from what this blogger has experienced, can extract thought out of any person’s head, Orwell style. Electronic/Wiifi/Satellitephone-tech White Zones please! This is a Human Rights Abuse, not giving an opt out option! See below link for ‘White Zones’ (a human and civil right to opt out if anything, much like abstention options in Military Conscriptions) :

Fiona Apple desperately regrets her hash and weed arrest last week — because the drug bust is taking ALL the spotlight away from her new album … and she bitched about it last night … on tape.

Fiona was performing at the House of Blues in New Orleans — and before she kicked off her set, she addressed the crowd, saying, “This record with me … I’m really sorry … All the work we did is being overshadowed by this bulls**t.”

Fiona’s obviously referring to her Texas drug bust last week, when she was allegedly popped with a baseball-sized chunk of weed and a bunch of hash. According to cops, Fiona admitted the drugs were hers.

Fiona then ignited a firestorm by publicly blasting 4 police officers for allegedly mistreating her during the arrest. In a bizarre moment on stage the other night … She said she kept a log of the abuses in a “lockbox” and planned to use it against the officers.

But last night she took it all back, saying … “There are no f**king lock boxes. I didn’t make up a code. It was my way to make a parallel between the south. I am not that f**ked up.”

Sure.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Sure? Whats with the sarcasm? Don’t go ‘sure’?!? Use of psychedelics should be legalized. Challenge the court by running for local candidacy with your fellow stars, and change the law – legalize. All that money and fame and time but no effort of democratic freedoms? Tsk tsk tsk, someone’s been on the stuff roo long to think straight. If Arnold S. could become Governor (unfortunately ended up writing no policy for the people), no reason why Fiona couldn’t do the same, simply to redress this arrest and regain respect in the community (which looks down on psychedelics simply because that is illegal). Think prohibition and how people frowned on the bottle. Then alcohol became legal. The same frownnig is going on at Fiona, so Fiona should at least be part of the effort to End Prohibition Against Psychedelics. I wrote about this ‘to’ Snoop ‘Lion’ (formerly Dogg), Fiona could stop apologizing and take the b.s. to the lawmakers instead of tacitly accepting ‘Prohibition’.

BRISTOL Palin is up in arms over a video showing her using drugs — fearing it’ll ruin her bid to relaunch her showbiz career on Dancing with the Stars.

The daughter of Sarah Palin, 21, is desperate to boost her brand with a second stint on the reality TV competition, insiders say, but she’s terrified the video will ruin her comeback.

“The video was shot in 2006, and Bristol is scared to death that it will surface now,” a source told the National Enquirer.

“Since the first time she was on Dancing in fall 2010, Bristol has lost a lot of weight and had plastic surgery on her jaw line. She’s ready for her close-up, but if that video comes out, it would destroy her!

“The video was filmed right before Bristol’s mom became governor.

“Bristol was parting like a rock star, as usual, and one of our pals was videotaping everyone as they drank and got high.

“At one point, he gets to Bristol and one of her friends holds the pot pipe to Bristol’s mouth and says out loud, ‘And here’s the future governor of Alaska’s daughter!’

“Bristol smiles at the camera, puts her lips around the pipe and inhales deeply. She holds in the smoke for a while, exhales, coughs a few times then laughs uncontrollably.

“With her previous ventures failing miser­ably, this could be it for Bristol. To have her ‘drug party’ tape finally come out would send her back home to Wasilla in shame!”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Use of psychedelics should be legalized. Challenge the court by running for local candidacy with your fellow stars, and change the law – legalize. All that money and fame and time but no effort of democratic freedoms? Tsk tsk tsk, someone’s been on the stuff roo long to think straight. If Arnold S. could become Governor (unfortunately ended up writing no policy for the people), no reason why Bristol couldn’t do the same, simply to redress this arrest and regain respect in the community (which looks down on psychedelics simply because that is illegal). Think prohibition and how people frowned on the bottle. Then alcohol became legal. The same frownnig is going on at Bristol, so Bristol should at least be part of the effort to End Prohibition Against Psychedelics. I wrote about this ‘to’ Snoop ‘Lion’ (formerly Dogg), Bristol could stop fearing and take the b.s. to the lawmakers instead of tacitly accepting ‘Prohibition’. Are you sheep or plutocrat entertainers with a mind of your own? Snoop Lion still quiet as a mouse on Organic Psychedelics Zone Advocacy?

GOOD JOB Guan Eng & team: The Pearl of the Orient’s charm is back! – Thursday, 26 July 2012 09:41

One would need courage and humility to recognize the transformation taking place over these past several years in Penang since 2008. Indeed, a visit to Penang is the best way to learn, witness and partake in the beauty that is becoming of the once raped island.

Notice the ample thought given in creating bicycle lanes. Note too how motorists keep to the law even when out of sight of the law keepers.

Notice how the ferry is kept refreshingly clean. And sense the improved work attitudes of its employees – including clean uniforms and engaging charm.

Notice that the rotting stench of uncollected garbage and choking debris along the island’s shores have all gone missing. Improved too is the absence of stench from covered drains. And see how the shops and stall operators appear cleaner and more ‘schooled’ in mannerisms and hygiene.

Most noticeable is the re-appearance of retired senior citizens back on the circuit of being gainfully employed. From hotels to restaurants, you notice more grey hairs and weather beaten brows easily warming you with caring aged eyes and toothless grins.

Noticeable too is the almost near absence of imported legal (together with Malaysia’s paradoxical illegal labour) workers. It appears that now every Penangite has equal opportunity to work.

Chocking, honking traffic has almost vanished. In place, you sense that people are more in less a hurry.

Trishaw riders are miraculously back with a vibrancy in their characteristic all yellow trappings. And what a joy to see these peddlers have nice park benches to rest, chat and even play a round of checkers in between trips.

What seemed impossible not so long ago and for a long time but now so naturally possible is also significant. There is ample space created for taxis to park in an orderly un-obstructive manner while waiting to get customers.

More cheerful Penangites

No wonder the people of Penang now seem more cheerful as they go about their business of the day. Listening to their relaxed and open conversation makes you wonder too ‘how come’? Where did they get this sudden courage to speak their mind so candidly and without fear or cover?

The taxi drivers are making a joke of the hand-out for tyres, saying, “bagi tangan kanan, ambil balik tangan kiri biasa loh.” And the retirees back on the job market are saying, “sekarang senang mah, boleh cari makan loh.”

Food prices are far more cheaper than Kuala Lumpur – never mind the fact that Penang is only four hours driving distance. You can have a decent nasi kandar of choice for below ten ringgit. And serving you is no ‘pendatang haram’ but family and kin of Malaysian citizenry.

It appears that it does makes economic sense to do away with import labour and give citizens a chance to make a living.

Syabas Penangites. And a feather for your able island’s leadership.

Indeed the Pearl of the Orient is back and the people have proven that when you give back to society what rightly belongs to humanity, people take personal responsibility more seriously and they need little prodding with slogans and reprimands through long preaching down.

But you will need courage and humility to witness and acknowledge the glow that is being put back on that island beauty Penang.

Mailbag

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Gratuituous praise as usual eh? Penang is not the Pearl of the Orient. Hong Kong is. The pearl held by the lion in the crest of the Hong Kong insignia personifies the romanticised (though west inspired) phrase “Pearl of the Orient” referring to Hong Kong – NOT Penang, which has a palm tree signifying a plantation which is now a bleak and spiritually unhappy (mentally or superficially most in Penang are quite happy, abit deeper and just horror . . . ) expense of urban landscape no different from any other on the planet, except for the pretentious, narrow minded and parasitic insanity of some (not too many but quite numerous, so careful you visitors, NWO alert if anything . . . ) the residents.

Also the local DAP politicians are so dirty and vicious and accepting of second class citizenships that they will poison activists with the psychiatric establishment because their politics differ and ask for funeral funds before their deaths. Penang features far too much (there are some normal people but even these get swept up in whatever b.s. herd mentality style . . . ) of a charmless waste bin of fundos posing as good citizens parasiting off the poorer or ‘less well thought’ (some of the rich are nigh unthinking and can be quite insane when infected by religion or cults of personality in politics, infecting the poor and the greedy in turn) lot who have suffered so much (or inflicted so much harm) that they are no civilised people/no longer people beyond a veneer or brittle smiles or superficial politics.

Too few ‘pearls of people’ here in Penang either! Now if Sipadan tried, MAYBE because there are at least REAL PEARL farms there, but Sipadan is 30 years behind Penang, even as Penang is 30 years behind Hong Kong . . . Penang is too often (read the news and apply some logic to see what I mean) a cursed place peopled by political deadwood and the damned fundos backed by poisoners of a psychiatric establishment that have so far been hiding behind a complicit legal system from punishment for abusing people active in politics and activism, minority-fringe group issue advocacy (Minority of 1 is NOT insanity, in fact virtually nothing is insanity . . . ), outside the ‘allowed groups’ . . .

Meaning, Penang is a Fascist dictatorship of an oligarchic/plutocratic elite, NOT a real democracy where anyone can speak freely and participate . . . is the UN paying attention and identifying which ‘stupidos’ are insane as opposed to the non-establishment contrarians being labelled and sabotaged, now without privacy thanks to neurotech abuse sanctioned by the psy-establishment? Some fundos, politicians and psyche-personnel need to be put in prison and stripped of their social and professional status to exhonerate those they have abused and subverted, families they destroyed . . .

What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form? And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU? And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

I said the lesser of the evils, not the lesser of the two evils. That is because in some cases there may be more than just two evils. And I am writing this article in response to the posting by Haris Ibrahim titled Manchester’s Plan B, stands and directions? Will RPK make sense of these for us?

In that posting, today, Haris gave me 48 hours to respond. This was what he said in the concluding paragraphs of his posting:

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I must confess that Plan B leaves me very troubled with the stand and the direction of RPK. Only RPK can lay those concerns to rest. Will the master strategist share his master strategy relating to Plan B, or so much of it as he can, with us? I will wait 48 hours to hear from him.”

Now, if you remember what I had said in the past, politics is always about compromises and choosing the lesser of the evils (or two evils). And that is why, as I had also said, I did not agree with Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s concept of ‘Politik Baru’ or ‘New Politics’.

I also wrote about how Dr Chandra ‘lectured’ me and was quite exasperated when I said ‘Politik Baru’ is an oxymoron. Politics is the oldest profession in the world (or second oldest if you regard prostitution as the oldest). Hence how can you have ‘New Politics’ when politics itself is the oldest game in town?

I was, of course, being cheeky. I knew what Dr Chandra meant. When he said ‘Politik Baru’ he meant we should indulge in clean politics and not in dirty politics. But can you really expect politics to be clean when the only way to win in the political game is to ‘play dirty’, as Malaysians would say?

And that is where the oxymoron comes in. To win you need to play a dirty game. If you play a clean game you would get whacked good and proper.

I used the analogy of a street fight. When someone walks up to you in a bar and punches you, do you put up your fists and defend yourself using Queensbury Rules? Queensbury Rules would work in a boxing ring with referees to monitor the boxing match. But in a bar where your opponent is not only drunk but also much bigger than you, you need to grab a bottle and whack him over the head with it. You floor the bugger then get the hell out of there in double-quick time.

Is this fair? Who cares? Your objective is not to get whacked, or worse, get killed. So you grab whatever you can and finish the guy off. Fair does not apply in such a situation when limb and life are in jeopardy.

Hence, in politics, if your opponent is not playing fair why should you? If you want to win against a dirty opponent you need to be even dirtier than your opponent. And if you do not have the stomach for such a dirty game then do not become a politician because politics is dirty. It is as simple as that.

Dr Chandra was trying to change the rules of the game. But the other side will not play by your rules. They will set their own rules. And the rule is there are no rules. Hence it should be the law of the jungle. And the law of the jungle is about survival of the fittest. The weak die. You either move to the top of the food chain or else you will become food for those stronger than you.

And that is what politics is all about.

For more than a year I have been raising all sorts of issues involving Pakatan Rakyat. I have pointed out the weaknesses in Pakatan Rakyat. I have pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat is no longer honouring the letter and the spirit of The Poeples’ Declaration although they had endorsed it in the run-up to the last general election.

I also pointed out that we are perturbed by the quality of the candidates. We do not trust some of the people in Pakatan Rakyat and feel that they are for sale. In fact, some have even proven us correct by defecting to the other side.

In our meeting with Anwar Ibrahim in London, we warned him that in the last general election most people were happy to just vote for anyone who was not Umno or Barisan Nasional. However, we have found some of these candidates a huge disappointment. The next time around, we warned Anwar, the voters are going to look at the candidates closely and will vote based on candidates, no longer based on party lines.

Anwar said that he agreed with our observation and that they have taken note of this point and plan to address it when they choose the candidates for the next general election. Anwar also explained that Pakatan Rakyat was having problems attracting candidates to contest on the Pakatan Rakyat ticket.

We were actually quite aware of this. And the problem existed even back in 1999 when Pakatan Rakyat did not exist yet and the opposition coalition then was called Barisan Alternatif. We also personally know some of those people who had been approached. But they declined the offer to contest the election even when they were told they need not join the party but could contest as ‘independent’ candidates. However, they would need to contest on the party ticket even if they did not sign up as party members.

We told Anwar that if this was the only problem they faced then we would be very happy to assist the opposition in sourcing for candidates. Following that, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) was launched and one of the first tasks of many that we embarked upon was to look for candidates to contest the general election.

We were very surprised, however, when we were told that Pakatan Rakyat would not accept our candidates. We were even more surprised when they started saying that our purpose in looking for candidates was to trigger three-corner contests in an effort to ‘pecah undi’ (split the votes) and help Barisan Nasional win the election.

After a year of trying to explain that this was not our ‘hidden agenda’ and that what we were doing was merely in response to what Pakatan Rakyat said — their problem in finding candidates — I decided to abort the exercise.

To make matters worse, we could not meet our target of 30 candidates because of the negative publicity about what we were trying to do. When we met with resistance, we stopped at seven candidates. We thought it was futile to push for 30 when there is so much bad publicity about our effort.

Eventually, the candidates dropped out one-by-one until we were left with just one candidate. And even that solitary candidate was going to be a problem because he wanted to contest in Kapar, Kelang, and that seat was ‘owned’ by PKR and PKR’s man in Kapar, Mike, was not going to give up his seat.

Hence Kapar would have to be a three-corner contest. And if the MCLM candidate contests Kapar in a three-corner fight this will only prove our critics right, that we are splitting the votes to help Barisan Nasional win the seat.

So, as I said, after more than a year of trying unsuccessfully to explain what we were doing and still not making any headway, I announced on 1st January this year that we are abandoning the independent candidate initiative. Actually, what I said was in response to a question by the chap interviewing me.

Jalil Hamid of NST asked me about MCLM and about MCLM’s plan to contest the general election. I corrected him by saying that MCLM never planned to contest the general election. That was not our intention at all. What we were trying to do was to help Pakatan Rakyat look for candidates. However, since this effort is not welcomed, we are dropping the whole idea.

Haris was most unhappy about this and he accused me of making a unilateral decision and said that this had never been discussed. Haris then resigned from MLCM while the others who were supposed to have been the candidates announced that they were distancing themselves from me. It appears my announcement that the independent candidate initiative is now off was not received well at all.

My contention was that if Pakatan Rakyat wanted our support then more effort needed to be put into fielding better candidates. And we told Anwar so, which he did not dispute. However, if what we were trying to do is going to be met with such a negative response then we might as well just abandon the whole exercise.

However, Pakatan Rakyat cannot expect our support if they field substandard candidates. Then everyone screams and tells me that it must be anything but Umno (ABU) and nothing else. Even when I pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat is not perfect, they scream, “Never mind. Pakatan Rakyat may not be perfect. There may be many weaknesses and even some corruption in Pakatan Rakyat. However, compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat is the lesser of the two evils.”

So there you have it. We are supporting Pakatan Rakkyat not because they are perfect. We know they are not perfect. But compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional they are the lesser of the two evils. And that would be the principle behind why we should support Pakatan Rakyat. It is a very clear stand we take. Our stand is to support Pakatan Rakyat on the principle that it is the lesser of the two evils.

Okay, if that is what the majority wants then I can live with that. Unfortunately, in a democracy, it is what the majority wants that counts. Whether what the majority wants is right or wrong is not crucial. If the majority in Germany during WWII wanted the Jews exterminated then the Jews will get exterminated. Is this the right thing to do? Maybe not but majority rule is not about what is right. That is the downside of democracy, as history has time and again proven.

Okay, I was opposed to the ends justifying the means, and I said so many times. I was opposed to the concept of choosing the lesser of the two evils, and I said so many times. The end justifying the means is a dangerous concept.

The Americans tried to assassinate Fidel Castro to solve their problem with Cuba. Assassination of a foreign leader is wrong but then the end justifies the means. They were looking at the lesser of the two evils. Assassinating a foreign leader is an evil thing to do. However, allowing Castro to rule Cuba is a bigger evil. Hence assassinating him is the lesser of the two evils.

And that is why I was opposed to the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils. Where do we stop? How far do we go? What becomes halal (allowed) and what becomes haram (forbidden)? Under the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils there is no haram. Everything is halal. So see how dangerous it can become?

While we in the opposition propagate the concept of the end justifying the means and the lesser of the two evils, Umno and Barisan Nasional too play that same game. And they are in power so they can play the game more effectively and more successfully than us.

Okay, what stand do Umno and Barisan Nasional take? Their stand is very simple. They do not want to lose power. So they need to retain power by defeating Pakatan Rakyat in any way possible, fair or foul means never mind.

Umno works on one very basic principle. And that principle is the Chinese control the corporate sector. Hence the Malays must control the political arena. The Chinese cannot dominate both the corporate world as well as politics. The Malays must dominate politics at all costs. And no cost is too great to pay.

What if Umno is going to lose political power? What if the majority of the voters vote against Barisan Nasional? Umno will have to make sure that this does not happen. They cannot allow a level playing field and face the risk of losing power. Hence all manner of gerrymandering must be applied plus the electoral roll will have to be padded with ‘BN-friendly’ voters.

What if after doing all this they still lose the election? Say, in spite of all the manipulation, Barisan Nasional still gets ousted. Are they prepared to quietly walk away and concede defeat? Or will they embark upon a post-election ‘exercise’ ultra virus to the Constitution to prevent Pakatan Rakyat from walking into Putrajaya?

Barisan Nasional has lost the election. But they refuse to give up power. They are retaining power through unconstitutional means. And that is evil. So what do we do? Do we just keep quiet or do we also play that same evil game?

No doubt what we need to do will also be evil. But it is going to be the lesser of the two evils. And the lesser of the two evils would be to launch a civil war against an unconstitutional government that refuses to concede defeat in the general election.

Take note, though, many lives will be lost. And that, of course, is an evil thing to happen. But is the loss of thousands of lives a lesser evil than the loss of the government? Or will it be the other way around? Will the loss of the government be the lesser evil? Would you consider lives as very precious and that the loss of thousands of lives can never justify the quest for power?

Another possible scenario would be that Pakatan Rakyat wins the next general election and there is a smooth and peaceful transfer of power. We cannot rule out that possibility as well. Then that would make this entire discussion purely academic.

Yet another possibility would be that Barisan Nasional wins the general election but with such a slim majority that it is almost a hung Parliament plus they lose almost half the 13 state governments, like what happened once upon a time. Then this triggers a power struggle in Umno, like what happened once upon a time. The group that wants to oust the group in power is more radical and believes in a hard-line action against the opposition to totally wipe out the opposition once and for all.

Now, we want to see the emergence of a two-party system in Malaysia. And two party-system means two parties equally-balanced where one can check the other. However, if the radical group succeeds in grabbing power then this aspiration of a two-party system would be buried. Thus, we need the liberals and not the radicals to hold power in Putrajaya.

If the radicals take over then there would no longer be any credible opposition come the general election, say, in 2018. However, if the liberals rule then the opposition still has one more shot in 2018, or whenever.

Okay, this is based on the scenario that Pakatan Rakyat fails to win the coming general election and Barisan Nasional is weakened further from the 2008 general election. If Pakatan Rakyat does worse than it did in 2008 then the problem ends. If Pakatan Rakyat wins the general election then we may have a problem but a different kind of problem. And if Pakatan Rakyat does better than it did in 2008 but Barisan Nasional still wins then it would be yet another kind of problem.

So there are three possible outcomes and three possible problems attached to these outcomes. Hence, based on the lesser of the evils, as what you all want, we have to figure out our course of action. Each course of action has some evil attached. The question would be: which would you regard as the lesser of that evil?

You may think that the above is mere speculation and not based on anything tangible. Okay, let me put it another way. Say Barisan Nasional wins 110 Parliament seats in total. The balance 112 Parliament seats are shared between PKR, DAP and PAS. Say DAP wins 40 seats, PKR 37 seats and PAS 35 seats. Who will get to form the government?

Barisan Nasional, a legally registered party, has the most number of seats, 110, compared to DAP, PKR and PAS who all won less than 110 seats each. You may argue that DAP, PKR and PAS can always combine their seats, which means the total would be 112 and hence more than Barisan Nasional’s 110.

Are you sure? What if they can’t? What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form? And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU? And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

Yes, yet a fourth possible scenario. And in politics anything is possible. In fact, the more impossible it may appear the more possible that it may happen. So, in this case, which would you regard as the lesser of the two evils? I don’t know so you tell me. Migrate? Take up arms and start a civil war? Curse PAS and DAP for not coming to an agreement on the matter of Hudud? Curse Anwar for not resolving this matter before the general election? What? You tell me!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This article is most ingenuous and insulting to the Rakyat’s intelligence!

a) What if His Majesty the Agong wants to see a Memorandum of Understanding signed by all three parties that spells out very clearly and specifically the terms of the ‘Unity Government’ that DAP, PKR and PAS are going to form?

No such requirement in UN or foreign nation recognition – the Agong can denounce a MOU refusing political party yet that party can still be recognized worldwide. Only a majority of MPs matters even if no MOU’s exist. This is ‘Absolute Monarchy’ talk. Are you mad RPK? Bodeking back into favour?

b) And what if DAP insists that one of the terms of the MoU must be that Malaysia retains its Secular State status while PAS insists that the implementation of Hudud be one of the terms of the MoU?

The UN insists that ALL countries of the world are secular to a point. Or do we need NATO peacekeepers to remind? Hudud as mentioned can be implemented in majority assenting districts in Malaysia, ridiculous to suggest Hudud in ALL of Malaysia ESPECIALLY in majority non-Malay districts and even in non-assenting majority Malay districts which have Malay majorities that do not want Hudud which by all common sense considerations leaves only Terengganu and Kelantan as possible consideration for Hudud (even Kelantan and Terengganu might have significant though not necessarily majority numbers of districts that do not want Hudud which by UN standards may not be enforced upon those populaces either.).

c) And because of this conflict, DAP, PKR and PAS end up in a deadlock and cannot sign the MoU and hence the Agong swears in the new Barisan Nasional government.

RPK must be senile here saying ‘And hence the Agong swears the new Barisan Nasional government (minority) voted government.‘

If BN is a minority, BN cannot be sworn in by the Agong – the UN or any responsible foreign government would never recognize the new MINORITY government! Because internationally only the majority coalition is recognized! More Absolute Monarchy from RPK. RPK, you really disappointed in this article and treat the Rakyat and readers like simpletons. RPK may be well informed but RPK can’t think straight for sh1t these days or presumes that everyone else can’t. Just look at the quality of articles RPK has been dishing out these days. Tsk tsk tsk . . . RPK should return to Malaysia and stand against Anwar in Penang, that perhaps RPK can do, something useful like give an alternative to Anwar – I think RPK is no more fundo and potentially more open minded than Anwar though no word yet on that backtrack LGBT yet . . . RPK shouldn’t don’t bother throwing strawmen scenarios and absolute monarchy at the Rakyat from jolly England and do something useful for GE13.

d) Curse PAS and DAP for not coming to an agreement on the matter of Hudud? Curse Anwar for not resolving this matter before the general election?

No. The Rakyat just won’t vote for them. The best curse is to not vote for any MP. In either case 2 terms only!

“While this might be a good vote-getting strategy in some parts of Malaysia, his claim shamefully runs completely contrary to the central principle of non-discrimination in international human rights law,” was Robertson’s rants against Anwar, picked up in a statement the HRW issued last week.

Azmi Anshar, NST

DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been busted again, playing both sides of the coin when he should have picked one and be done with it. But then, it’s an Anwar speciality over the years he’s been grating the public consciousness.

This time though, his duality — this split personality meandering on human rights issues — is his own doing, one that invited a stricture that, surprisingly, didn’t bore from a Federal Government leader, backer or blogger.

It was unloaded by Human Rights Watch’s (Asia division) Phil Robertson, an ally fuming at Anwar’s doublespeak uttered during his revealing testimony in his lawsuit against Utusan Malaysia last week.

Responding to defence counsel’s questions, Anwar the plaintiff explicitly agreed that homosexuals should be discriminated to protect the sanctity of marriage. Full stop? Not quite. It was not the point that Anwar wanted to make as he insisted that “archaic” laws should be reviewed to prevent punishment of the innocent.

Defence lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein’s question could not have been clearer: “Should we discriminate against homosexuals?” Firoz asked. “Yes” was Anwar’s emphatic reply.

Anwar went on: “We don’t give space to homosexuals and uphold the sanctity of marriage…the law must be crafted in a way we must believe the sanctity of marriage between a man and woman…we do not promote homosexuality.”

Anwar had a partisan reflection when he articulated why Malaysia’s anti-homosexual laws were “archaic”, illustrating something that seemed “personal” when he intoned, “legislation to punish innocent people should not be condoned or tolerated”.

When pressed to elaborate on why he considered existing laws against unnatural sex under Section 377 of the Penal Code to be “archaic”, Anwar was more direct: “…because it is hardly used and only used for political reasons”.

That’s Anwar speciality, that ability to tie you up in literary knots even under oath. For the general populace, he wants homosexuals discriminated — banned, barred, isolated or alienated — yet he wants “archaic” laws governing the counter-culture to be reformed. Which is it?

Robertson wasn’t having any of Anwar’s nonsensical flip-flops, directly denouncing his anti-gay position as “shameful”, “fundamentally wrong” while accusing him of playing politics with civil liberties.

“While this might be a good vote-getting strategy in some parts of Malaysia, his claim shamefully runs completely contrary to the central principle of non-discrimination in international human rights law,” was Robertson’s rants against Anwar, picked up in a statement the HRW issued last week.

Bang goes Anwar’s carefully manufactured reputation as an international human rights advocate. The malarkey of his global pulpit, centred upon caressing his image in the likes of civil rights battlers Aung San Suu Kyi, is exposed as untenable when it comes to defending political self-preservation, especially his vested interest with Islamic allies Pas and a host of like-minded religious jurors.

To be sure, Robertson would just have imposed a similar judgment against the Federal Government, but there are diametric differences: whereas Anwar speaks with a forked tongue, the Barisan Nasional has consistently insisted that gays have no role to play in the mainstream.

To be plain, Anwar is a hypocrite (by Robertson’s angry diatribe) and a liar (by the rants of disappointed supporters) as he speaks for the downtrodden before international audiences, but deserts them at home. On the other hand, the Federal Government opposes — as representative of the moral/religious majority and a matter of national law/policy — the LGBT (Lesbians Gays Bisexual Transgender) movement propelled by Bersih leader Datuk S. Ambiga.

Going by the consistency of his ironies and deceptions, Anwar wants to be a man of all seasons for everybody and if he trips on his convoluted political rhetoric, that’s fine because in his mind, enough people have the required gullibility to believe in his “heartfelt” empathy.

Until someone like Robertson comes along to fiercely prick Anwar’s hydrogen-inflated and moveable balloon.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Less LGBT hate by allowing a pro-LGBT article is NOT an apology or backtrack on some of RPK’s less LGBT neural articles.

ARTICLE 4

Stop playing race game – FROM AROUND THE BLOGS – Wednesday, 25 July 2012 Super Admin – AZMI SHAROM

The country has changed so much since 1969 that to keep using the argument that we are on the verge of race war is rather obsolete.

I WAS wondering when it was going to happen; when certain quarters were going to dust off that old chestnut of May 13, 1969, and use it as a political tool.

It all seems terribly coincidental that as the general election draws nearer, suddenly race riots get inserted into political speech, and a movie about May 13 is apparently waiting to be released.

The country has changed so much since 1969 that to keep using the argument that we are on the verge of race war is rather obsolete.

Let’s look at some facts. Firstly, the vast majority of the Malaysian population were not even born in 1969.

This means that first-hand knowledge of that terrible time is simply not part of most of us. Without that emotional connection, I believe that younger Malaysians are willing to question the feasibility of such a thing happening again.

And really, could it? In 1969, the politics of the nation was so very clearly divided along racial lines. The Opposition was not united as it is today. PAS won 12 seats, DAP 13 and Gerakan 8.

They were not part of a coalition and each stood on its own, therefore it was possible to play the race game because, in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in particular, the Opposition had the face of “the other”.

Today, with the Pakatan coalition in existence, the Opposition is a much more complex animal. If the Opposition wins, how can the race card be played when two of the component parties are so predominantly Malay?

Let’s take a look at recent events that has got some powerful people’s knickers in a twist.

In particular the Bersih demonstrations of 2007, 2011 and 2012. The demographics of these events were multi-ethnic and became even more multi-ethnic with each progressive one.

By the time of this year’s Bersih demonstration, the make-up of the people who took part was much closer to the make-up of the country as a whole. However, the predominant ethnic group was still Malay.

This goes to show that the political divide, not of political parties but of ordinary citizens, can no longer be conveniently divided along ethnic lines.

Significant numbers of Malaysians, regardless of their background, can be united when they have a common political goal, in this case clean and fair elections.

Furthermore, ethnic Malays can be vocally unhappy with the status quo. In the present-day scenario, it is ridiculous to say that the politics in Malaysia is simply a matter of Malays versus Non-Malays.

And let us look at the 2008 elections. The results were unprecedented and surprised most people. I remember that night very well, as the results became clear that Barisan had lost their two-thirds majority and five state governments.

I decided to drive around Kuala Lumpur, just to see what would happen. And what happened? Nothing.

The streets were quiet. No celebratory parties, no processions, no fireworks; nothing.

The Opposition and their supporters on the streets were as muted as the Barisan and their supporters.

No gloating, no taunting, no excuses at all to provoke a reaction from the supporters of the powers-that-be.

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will not impose new taxes to compensate for any potential loss of revenue from its plan to shelve excise duties to lower the sticker price for cars if it takes power in the next general election.

PKR’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli had on Tuesday announced that the federal opposition intends to cut the triple tax on cars — import, excise and sales tax — if it wins the coming general election.

Today, Rafizi (picture) said that there will be “no introduction of new taxes”.

Instead, he said, a PR federal government would instead cut spending and also revamp the current Approved Permit (AP) system to make up for any losses.

“I think we can look at how we manage APs. APs now… to give riches buta-buta (blindly),” he said.

“If AP is managed well, there will be a source of wealth that can balance the loss of revenue from excise duty.”

However, he said, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would only announce details of PR’s mechanism for the alternative source of revenue next week.

Rafizi had previously admitted that the government could lose RM8 billion in yearly revenue if car taxes are cut.

But the offer to voters will effectively boost the disposable incomes of Malaysians and reduce household debts.

Malaysians pay inordinately high prices for cars mainly because of the protection afforded to national carmaker Proton since 1984.

The public pays import, excise and sales taxes that translate into some of the highest car prices in the region and the world.

A recent income survey found that a household earning RM3,000 a month could spend up to 50 per cent of its income on maintaining a car.

A cut in car duties — which currently run as high as 105 per cent — could help stimulate the economy by boosting disposable income and reducing household debt burden, analysts have also told The Malaysian Insider.

The high taxes now have resulted in about 20 per cent of the RM581 billion total household debt in the country last year being held in cars, an asset that depreciates over time.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Pakatan must be mad if they think the Rakyat are going to continue paying extra for their cars to some AP Crony – this shows Anwar supports apartheid in some manner as well! Unvotable! Vote 3rd Force which will make ALL OF MALAYSIA an AP and duty free zone. Who ever suggests or supports keeping AP must be enmired in crony politics mentality, a crony or plain greedy. Look around the world, there is no such thing as AP in any developed country and even in Africa where apartheid has officially ended, there is no AP, though apartheid still exists in some places unofficially from unremoved legal or social or other embedded structures.

Jul 25: Acknowledging it is the government’s right to appeal against yesterday’s decision by the High Court declaring the coalition a legal entity, the grouping however advised Home minister Hishamuddin Hussein not to do so.

“For the sake of our country, we sincerely ask them not to pursue with an appeal and to drop all the civil suits against us as it is a waste of public funds,” Bersih 2.0 steering committee members said in a statement.

The coalition said it hoped BN would accept present political realities and deal with Bersih 2.0 as a legitimate entity demanding free and fair elections on behalf of the people.

Judge Rohana Yusof ruled in favour of Bersih, pointing out to contradiction by the authorities who allowed Bersih to hold its third rally this year despite not revoking the pronouncement that it was ‘illegal’.

Bersih is led by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreevenasan and literary icon Samad Said, along with 14 other steering committee members.

Responding to the judgement, Hishamuddin said his ministry would discuss with the Attorney General whether to appeal against the decision.

Bersih meanwhile called on BN to start cooperating to improve the electoral system.

Meanwhile, PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, describing the judgement a victory for the people, hoped that lesson was learnt by BN.

“This is a reminder against issuing a declaration which violated the law, and Hishamuddin should be aware that many rally participants were arrested because of that wrong declaration,” he added.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

A group of citizens backed by the Bar Council, could file a lawsuit against the Home Minister, CPO of the district or at least the highest ranking officer at the rally for not making orders clear or controlling their men. As for being beaten and hurt during the rally where provable (i.e. has filmed evidence) compensation by the ENTIRE police force perhaps in salary dockings collectively shared rather than taxapayers’ monies, no offense to police but this shouldn’t be too much individually when divided, and does give a message to the police to not resort to violence or at least use submission holds and moves (no hitting with batons or rubber hoses unnecessarily, what does the PDRM think this is, Camel Riders in Egypt under Mubarak?), with any protestors and ralliers who threw the first punch first being left out of any compensation unless obviously retaliated against in an inequitable manner. Lets see if the Courts or Bar Council get blackballed internationally or the Home Minister, CPO or Ranking Officer has to resign at very least. As for BERSIH, please make clear on the below, Anwar’s ‘keep AP in place’ fortells much cronyism and potential apartheid if anything :

;and field some candidates for GE13! We can’t hand the government to either BN or PR, 3rd force is best (well maybe DAP and PKR if the 90% and 50% family blocs (and crony capitalists) respectively are not fielded in GE13!

ARTICLE 7

PKR Youth wing against hudud – Wednesday, 25 July 2012 Super Admin

NOT IN FAVOUR: Its chief, Shamsul Iskandar, on same wavelength as Karpal in opposing the Islamic law

Its chief, Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, yesterday warned his Pas counterpart, Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, that he had opened a Pandora’s box over his recent comment on the implementation of hudud, which had raised the ire of Karpal and other DAP members.

He said it was improper for Nasrudin to dredge up the longstanding issue as he claimed that the stance of the alliance between PKR, DAP and Pas on the Islamic criminal law was clear.

“I would like to advise Nasrudin to refer to our agreement late last year that hudud is not part of Pakatan Rakyat’s joint policy until all member parties agree to it.”

Shamsul Iskandar added that close to 30 top opposition party leaders had met for over three hours on Sept 29, last year to resolve the deep-rooted hudud issue, which has seen DAP and Pas repeatedly at loggerheads.

“DAP’s objection has to be respected and PR will continue to allow its members to air different views,” he said.

On Friday, Karpal had expressed displeasure upon learning that Nasrudin had, during a political debate, suggested that he was willing to consider hudud for the country.

Hudud is a term used in Syariah to describe the class of punishment for certain crimes such as theft, fornication and adultery, consumption of alcohol and other intoxicants and apostasy.

Nasrudin had uttered the remark during a debate with Umno Working Committee Secretariat of Young Ulama chairman Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya.

Karpal had also asked Pas leaders to keep its “members in the lower ranks” in check, and urged them to pursue the welfare state, an ideal endorsed by the DAP, PKR and Pas alliance.

He had also claimed that Pas had abandoned its aspirations to set up an Islamic state and implement Islamic laws in the country as a trade-off for its cooperation with DAP and PKR.

On Monday, however, Pas syura council member Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed refuted Karpal’s statement and said having Islamic laws and setting up an Islamic state were still high on Pas’s agenda.

Pas Youth deputy chief Dr Raja Ahmad Al Hiss yesterday said he did not want the dispute between Karpal and Nasrudin to interfere with preparations for the elections.

“Since the general election is approaching, Pas does not want to get distracted as we want to stay committed to ensuring Pakatan Rakyat’s victory and capturing Putrajaya,” he said in a text message yesterday.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong challenged senior PKR and DAP leaders to state their stand on hudud and to “chastise Pas” over its plan to implement Islamic laws in the country.

“If PKR is for the creation of a welfare state, does that mean it is for or against hudud, considering the fact that its leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had voiced his support for hudud?” Wee asked in a statement here yesterday.

“So far, Karpal has been a lone ranger in speaking against hudud. (Are) the DAP office-bearers distancing themselves from their chairman?”

“Karpal cannot confidently say that Pas gave up on the creation of an Islamic state in favour of a welfare state if Nasrudin publicly declares otherwise and has the support of a Pas Syura council member.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

I can imagine DAP and PAS throwing even more religious strawmen at the Rakyat if they win. What will be left of Malaysia may be worse but in a different way than if BN won. BN – Corruption and Racism, or PR – Fundamentalism and Nepotism? Choose neither BN nor PR by voting for 3rd Force. BN came and went. Pakatan failed and needs to be booted. 3rd Force must prevail or more madness, but of a different sort, looks set to continue under PR unless all Pakatan MP’s sign a statuary declaration supporting a bill for :

But only 3rd Force looks able to sign a Statuary Declaration confirming their committment to ensure the above, with BN actually currently having the mandate to grant the above but simply refusing to use that mandate! Failed coalitions both! Vote for 3rd Force!

Amanah has decided to go with BN’s ‘don’t use mandate’ to ‘not end apartheid’ or ‘don’t end 2 classes of citizenship’ – so Amanah becomes non-3rd Force. Does the Rakyat know how to vote yet?

Career politicians — which would be what most Malaysian politicians are — are in it for the money. If politicians are not paid any salary or allowance and, say, wakil rakyat, instead of receiving a salary/allowance, need to pay for the ‘honour’ of being a wakil rakyat, how many would want to become a wakil rakyat?

For example, the First Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, took six months no-pay leave to campaign in the general election (he handed the administration of the country to his deputy, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein). He also sold a lot of his personal property to finance Umno. When the Tunku retired he was almost broke and could not even afford to pay his income tax. So the government froze his gratuity.

How many politicians would do what the Tunku did?

The Tunku, understandably, was very sad. After being ousted and forced out of office on allegations that he was a ‘Chinese lover’ and that he is to blame for the 13th May 1969 race riots due to his excessive ‘compromises’ with the Chinese, he is whacked with a huge income tax bill and his gratuity is frozen.

The Tunku who did so much for the country and sacrificed his personal wealth for the sake of the country is made into a pariah and suffers persecution. That turned him into a bitter old man and when the old Umno was wound up and the new Umno (Umno Baru) was formed he refused to become a member. In fact, he worked with Semangat 46 to oppose Umno Baru. And when he died he died outside Umno.

The Third Prime Minister, Tun Hussein Onn, also opposed Umno Baru and, just like the Tunku, died outside Umno. He too did not like what Umno had become. His intentions never changed. Neither did the Tunku’s. But Umno had changed. And both these gentlemen did not like what they saw in the new Umno that rose from the ashes of the old Umno.

. . . what happens if the party has transformed or mutated into something that you do not believe in? Do you call it a day and move on or do you bite the bullet and stifle your dissent? Dissent would be considered as rebellion in a political party. Demonstrating dissent would weaken the party as it gives an impression that the party is divided, or worse, disintegrating.

But doing so goes against what you believe in. So what do you do? Do you speak out and risk being seen as not toeing the party line or do you leave and be called a traitor or turncoat? Not an easy decision, especially for someone who has attained a high profile status in the party.

For example, the Qur’an starts by saying that there is good and there is bad in liquor but there is more bad than good. Hence this verse can be taken as an advice about the ills of liquor but not quite a prohibition from drinking.

Then the Qur’an says you must not drink before your prayers. This is a prohibition but a prohibition only when you are going to pray. In other words you can still drink as long as you are not about to pray.

Finally, the Qur’an prohibits liquor altogether.

Now, the Qur’an is supposed to be the word of God but sent to us through the Prophet Muhammad. So why can’t God (or Muhammad) make up His mind? Why the ‘U-turn’? Why like this one day and like that another day? Why not be consistent?

Students of the Qur’an can tell you that in the early days of Islam when the pagans of Mekah were not yet ready to fully abandon their old customs and traditions, Muhammad (or God, if you embrace the belief that the Qur’an is God’s word) had to be more compromising and less hard line. However, after more than a decade, after Islam had become well entrenched in Medinan society, Muhammad was able to be more intolerant and less compromising on what was considered unIslamic.

True, people have left Umno-BN and people have crossed over from the opposition to join Umno-BN. But different people have done so for different reasons.

Onn Jaafar, as an example, left Umno because Umno would not accept non-Malays into the party. He wanted Umno to abandon its Malay agenda and transform itself into a Malaysian party. But Umno could not agree to that. So, since Umno did not share his ideals of a non-race-based party, he left. Since he could not change Umno and since he was not prepared to change his stand just to toe the party line, he quit to form his own non-race-based party UMNO Baru.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The above article is the cleaned up and manipulation free version of the original. Read the original at your own risk at :

RPK is still manipulating, propagating (replicating more like) a certain ‘definitely skewed’ mode of thought, though far more cautiously after the past few responses on this blog which some might consider harsh. But when a man as old as RPK speaks, tolerance for manipulation and inaccuracy or lack of logic is virtually zero by the standards of today’s youth. More rebuttals :

1) But doing so goes against what you believe in. So what do you do? Do you speak out and risk being seen as not toeing the party line or do you leave and be called a traitor or turncoat? Not an easy decision, especially for someone who has attained a high profile status in the party.

This presumes or causes the reader “corruptible ethics” as well as pre-empts political parties to be undemocratic . RPK sinks to new lows, or displays more uncorrected character flaws . . .

2) . . . Muhammad was able to be more intolerant and less compromising on what was considered unIslamic. . . .

Shows that RPK is not ‘naturally nice’ or ‘naturally all encompassing’ or not inclined to diversity. So if RPK is praising and intending to be like Muhammed, fully expect that IF RPK has the ‘power’, RPK will be merciless but meanwhile will play nice because RPK has no power at the moment. So who needs this sort of MP/leader like RPK? Fail again, and more authoritarianism. I still encourge RPK to return to Malaysia and stand against Anwar in Anwar’s constituency, choosing between the lesser of 2 evils and all that y’know . . . UMNO Baru could even be revived but only if the below 3 items are part of the new party and part of all MP or required as candidates’ statuary declarations for the Rakyat :

Otherwise only 3rd Force candidates fresh from the Rakyat with a Statuary Declaration on the above 3 items, and ready to leave after 2 terms are the only votables. End the APARTHEID of Bumiputra and make Apostasy something that cannot be punished! The Quran cannot be misinterpreted in this manner as a tool of control against Malays, even as APARTHEID of Bumiputra is against all concept of Islamic (and Human) civilisation!

An article in the Perkasa website accuses the DAP veteran of being the main force behind the riots which, according to the writer, claimed 2,000 lives.

RK Anand, FMT

Ruling politicians have never failed to remind Malaysians of the sectarian violence which rocked the nation more than four decades ago.

The spectre was often summoned to stoke fear in the hearts of the electorate and served as a convenient tool to create suspicion and animosity between the races.

And while the soon-to-be repealed Sedition Act was used against those who uttered statements of comparatively lesser evil, those who peddled the May 13 bogey were however left untouched.

With the 13th general election looming and being touted as the nation’s most pivotal political bout, the bloodletting of 1969 had cropped up with increasing frequency, especially with the Chinese having turned their backs on the Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition as evident in their voting trend.

And in the forefront of this bandwagon was Perkasa, the self-appointed vanguard of the Malay race in Malaysia.

In a recent article published on its website, the writer had accused DAP’s Lim Kit Siang of being the prime mover behind the racial riots.

The article was accompanied by a macabre montage depicting the veteran politician with a bloody hand print in the background and blood dripping over his face, with the words “13 Mei”.

The article claimed that the opposition leader later sang a different tune, saying that DAP was willing to work with BN to ensure that such a tragic episode did not recur.

“His aim was to put a lid on his cardinal sin as the main force [pengerak utama] behind May 13 and to wash his hands of the blood of the innocent victims [of the riots],” it read.

The article, titled “Kit Siang pernah halau Melayu dari Kg Baru”, was penned in reaction to Lim’s vexed response to the accusation that DAP was infiltrated by Communist elements.

Delving into the history of DAP’s formation, the article stated that since its inception, the party had close ties with Singapore’s People’s Action Party or PAP.

Following Singapore’s departure from the Federation, the article said DAP was formed with Lim, who was said to share family ties with Singapore’s first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, being one of the pioneers.

“There is not much difference between DAP and PAP. So it does not come as a surprise that the new generation of DAP leaders like Lim’s son Guan Eng continue the tradition of ‘worshipping’ PAP,” it added.

The ‘big headed’ Chinese

Following the 1969 general election, the article stated that DAP and Gerakan (which was then an opposition party) grew arrogant after securing a huge victory in Selangor.

“DAP used the freedom of expression without limits to condemn and insult the Malays during a mammoth rally in Kuala Lumpur which saw them bring banners and loud-hailers.

“It had only been 12 years since the Chinese were accorded full citizenship based on one of the conditions set forth by the British and they [the Chinese] had grown big headed,” it read.

Citing a report by the National Action Council then, the article said it was found that DAP’s street procession in which racist sentiments were spewed against the Malays was the catalyst behind the racial riots.

Interestingly, the article stated that 2,000 lives were lost in the riots despite official statistics placing the death toll at under 200 amidst claims that it was an attempt to downplay the incident.

According to the article, the slogan bandied about by Lim and the other Chinese leaders in DAP during their procession was “Malai si which meant ‘Mati Melayu’ [Malays are dead].”

The fact was, claimed the article, DAP cannot change to become a party which would champion the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera “because racism runs deep in its veins”.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

” The fact was, claimed the article, DAP cannot change to become a party which would champion the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera “because racism runs deep in its veins”. “

Tsk! RK Anand’s line reads no better being racism by neglect of consideration that all citizens have the same rights under law and that Bumiputra Special Privileges were as per the Reid Commission only allowed to be in place fo 15 years and then reviewed for removal. The way RK Anand speaks, sounds as if Bumiputra was intended to be forever! That is the Social Contract. Equality for all Malaysians AFTER 15 years of Special privileges. How about we have parties that do not champion rights of any race and instead champion rights of MALAYSIAN citizens . . . DAP and PAS get along because of a sense of Fundamentalism. What does RK Anand think of the below and will RK Anand even dare ask for what is merely equality even where Pakatan cynically and unfairly fail to act to ensure what UN and Quran assure all humanity?

The NGOs in Malaysia have found themselves ‘between a ROC and a hard place…’, says Suaram’s adviser Kua Kia Soong.

While the Registrar of Societies may now feign innocence regarding their selectivity in registering societies by questioning Suaram’s registration as a business, let me remind the young generation and those with short memories about our nation’s shortcomings relating to the freedom of association in our recent history.

As you know, ‘Operation Lalang’ was Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s autocracy at its worst when he arrested and detained more than a hundred innocent Malaysians without trial in October 1987.

Upon the release of the last Operation Lalang detainees in 1989, several of these detainees including my goodself and members of the Families Support Group formed this human rights organisation known as Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia). Aware of the obstacles in registering a human rights society under the Registrar of Societies, Suaram registered as a business under the Registrar of Business.

At the time, another human rights organisation, Hakam had taken more than two years to be registered in 1989 even though it boasted two former prime ministers (Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn) as its patrons. It had tried unsuccessfully several times to register as a society in the eighties.

The Malaysian chapter of Amnesty International also tried unsuccessfully for five years to register as a society under the Societies Act. Two applications and an appeal to the Home Minister were also rejected.

Consequently, quite a number of NGOs decided that in order to carry out their services to society, they had no choice but to register as businesses.

So why is there a sudden interest in Suaram’s status after its 23 years’ existence? Is it coincidental that this has arisen out of our recent request to the French judicial system to pursue suspected commissions embroiled in the RM7 billion Scorpene submarine deals?

It is no secret

Given the difficulties created by the Societies Act, some non-governmental organisations, including Suaram decided to register as companies or businesses.

As the corporate gurus say, “If something is not working, do something else.” Or, as Deng Xiaoping famously said, “It does not matter if the cat is white or black, as long as it catches the mice.” The mice, in the case of NGOs, are defending human rights, democracy and social justice.

NGOs registering as companies were certainly not a secret. In fact, in early 1997 the government threatened to force all NGOs to register under the Societies Act. Nonetheless, registration as a company has not completely protected NGOs from harassment by the government, as the recent intrusion by the SSM into Suaram’s accounts has demonstrated.

In 1996, the Institut Pengajian Komuniti (IPK), an NGO taking up the issue of rights of indigenous peoples in Sarawak was de-registered by the Registrar of Business over a legal technicality.

The ROC’s Tenaganita fiasco

In 1997, the Registrar of Companies raided the offices of Tenaganita, the NGO that had exposed inhuman conditions in immigrant detention centres, and confiscated their documents.

Tenaganita and two directors were subsequently charged in court in March 1997 under the Companies Act for late filing of audited financial statements of 1994. And most unusual was the fact that the charges were prosecuted by a Deputy Prosecutor from the Attorney-General’s Chambers instead of the usual officers of the Registrar.

The charges were subsequently withdrawn on July 9, 1997 when it was pointed out in court that the Registrar had already compounded the offences and accepted payment of a fine through Tenaganita’s accountants.

Then on Sept 5, 1997, the Registrar again issued fresh charges against Tenaganita and two directors on minor technicalities. This time around, the Registrar refused to compound the alleged offences for a fine.

After Tenaganita mounted a legal challenge to the prosecutions alleging mala fide prosecution, the charges were withdrawn on Nov 25, 1997.

As you can see, NGOs in Malaysia have found themselves “between a ROC and a hard place…”

PSM’s Greek tragedy

Opposition political parties have fared no better. Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) only obtained its legal registration as a political party in 2008, 10 years after it first filed its application. The entire saga endured by PSM in its struggle to be registered reads like a Greek tragedy in modern Malaysia.

And of course, the Registrar of Societies can feign selective outrage yet again: “Wasn’t the Malaysian Indian United party (MIUP), whose founding leader is S Nallakaruppan swiftly registered in October 2007, just five months after he quit PKR in May 2007?”

“You mean the party that pledged to work closely with, and give its support to, the ruling BN coalition? Yes, we believe the ROS acted expeditiously on their application…”

Restrictions to the fundamental right to freedom of association are also imposed on trade union officials through the Trade Unions Act. Today, less than 10 per cent of Malaysian workers are unionised compared to more than 60 per cent at the time of Independence. What a transformation indeed!

Inspecting the good guys

We stress that the entire charade by the government to harass Suaram through a complaint by some nonentity in the public and CCM’s ‘routine’ inspection is political and uncalled for.

We do not even know if the complaint was made officially to the CCM. It would appear that the CCM is acting on every single complaint (offical or otherwise) from the public at a highly efficient rate.

We question if there is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) within CCM that provides guidelines on receiving and acting on a complaint.

We also question whether or not the SOP requires the CCM to first verify the background of the complainant prior to receiving and acting on a complaint.

From the evidence in the Paris (Scorpene Scandal) Papers, one would have expected that the CCM would know its priorities and begin “routinely inspecting” the highly dubious activities and accounts of Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi Sdn Bhd, but have they?

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Show us that people who can look like so-called ‘leaders’ are able to do good and not merely ask for funeral funds. Run for election as an independent candidate Kua Kia Song.

‘As for the technicality of registration’, my dear Perfessher, there is no need for that. A statuary declaration to abide by certain items for any group of candidates is all thats needed. ROS which is being a problem and obviously less than neutral becomes a perfunctory body that can be safely ignored and bypassed (in a neutral ROS peopled by neutral people that may not be the case but in Malaysia, very much so), political parties are an instrument of control. The technicality and illusion of a ‘great party’ of unity is to con the people with. The people however do not care about political parties anymore. All want to be entertained and all want social freedoms. If an independent candidate or a group of independant candidates runs for election, can give that, as opposed to a oh-so-unified party controlled by an undemocratic term limitless supremo who fears activists and independent minded persons so much they would prefer to sabotage and poison and drug then label these potential competitors as insane, guess who the people would rather vote for? Taking the above into consideration, the ROS is absolutely redundant when faced with independent candidates.

Conform much Dr. Kua? Even the below commentator thinks more outside the box that this preconceived acceptance of ROS and being in a political party to participate in democratic processes! Looks very much like so but all PHd. holders are brainwashed confirmists to a degree . . . there is no need to belong to a political party or need association with the ROS. And all MPs and Assemblymen should GTFO of Dewan to allow the next generation of people to take over and perhaps even like Tunku Abdul Rahman did specifically – FOR FREE not asking for state funds. Wanna join 3rd Force on this premise? To not collect a single cent of salary like Tunku Abdul Rahman, AND leave after 2 terms? Now THAT would be statesmanship! Not the shameless demands for 750K funerals, pretenses about normalcy of family bloc term limitlessness ,or morons impressed by the concept of political parties and the need for ROS controlling whether or not a group of people may peacefully engage in democratic processes like politics.

ROS is not worth talking to because ROS is so un-neutral – totally idiotic ROS won’t even let a political party choose a logo IN THIS DAY OF CUSTOMISATION, DISALLOWING LOGO CHOICE IS TOO IDIOTIC AND BACKWARD!!! ROS is absolutely dictatorial and BACKWARD ! Let a particular logo of free choice represent a statuary declaration that all ‘unaffiliated independent’ candidates have signed, and let the ‘unaffiliated independent’ candidates wear a button badge that features the logo, or insert that logo in every public photo. There, ROS refusal to register party and logo problem solved.

Break the mold or be broken by the mold! Lets make this square (w)hole!

Commentator Comments :
…
written by A Bolehlander, July 31, 2012 14:42:21
ROC often expound that they are merely handling the registers and not a regulator (that’s when you lodge a complain over something and they refuse to take any action). Good reason why a change of governance is necessary. as Tao sage says, if you keep walking the same path, you’ll just continue reaching the same destination. 55 years of strolling down the slope (and gaining momentum too). How about changing the vehicle, the direction and way of doing things, for better or worse, we are sure at least we won’t be going down the same slope, a risk worth taking

…
written by malsia1206, July 31, 2012 14:12:13
The Pedigree in Barisan’s stable – AG, PDRM
The Thorougbreds in Barisan’s stable – EC, MACC
The Lower Liners in Barisan’s stable – ROS, CCM, National Registration, Immigration
The Judiciary is another prime suspect to fit into the upper tier.
That’s the critical setup of this present regime. Keep em all in Putrajaya’s pockets.

…
written by singhkris, July 31, 2012 14:17:06
Why is the Registrar not being challenged in court.

Anyway you continue with your challenge and the case in France. If you have to mount a legal challenge to fend off any trumped up charges, I am sure there are enough Malaysians who will support you financially. Just give a call!

PETALING JAYA, July 31 — PKR today suggested auctioning off Approved Permits (APs) for imported vehicles through an open bidding process in the first three years under Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) rule before abolishing the system entirely in 2015.

The party’s strategy director Rafizi Ramli said this would be on top of PR’s electoral pledge to slash excise duties and to help reduce household debt and boost the disposable incomes of Malaysians.

He told a press conference today that if an estimated 70,000 APs are awarded every year, the auction should fetch nearly RM3 billion in revenue annually for the government.

He said this would help compensate for the RM8 billion in annual losses expected from PR’s plan to slash car excise duties, which currently run as high as 105 per cent.

“Under Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN), the AP system only benefits those who are close to them.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government, whether or not under BN or PR, must abolish the AP system by 2015 in order to comply by agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),” he said.

Rafizi pointed out that under the country’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) in 2005, the AP system was supposed to be abolished by December 31, 2010, but was instead extended by five years to 2015.

He said Malaysians must be reminded of this, as the system was meant to help Bumiputera entrepreneurs to flourish in the automotive industry.

“In his Budget 2010 speech, (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak annnounced that every AP will be sold for RM10,000 and funds from them will be channelled to a special Bumiputera entrepreneur fund.”

Rafizi said that in 2011 alone, some 600,123 new cars were registered. Of that total, he said 533,515 units were manufactured and assembled in Malaysia, which meant that some 66,608 APs were issued for imported vehicles.

He said if APs were sold at RM10,000 each, the government should have spent RM666 million to help Bumiputera entrepreneurs from the fund.

“But until today, we still do not know what has happened to that fund or how funds from the sale of APs have been spent,” he said.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government adheres to the commitment to abolish the AP system by 2015. But for the first three years from 2013 to 2015, necessary measures must be taken to ensure that we get the best value from the APs issued through this open auction,” he said.

Rafizi suggested that the opening bid for the auction of an AP should be set at RM10,000 for fuel-saving vehicles, RM20,000 for regular vehicles and RM30,000 for higher capacity vehicles.

He said with the estimated revenue from the auction, PR’s plan to reduce car prices by slashing excise duties would be easier to implement as it would compensate for the RM8 billion drop in government revenue.

“At the same time, our tax revenue from other means would also increase because when we return RM8 billion into the pockets of Malaysians, this would in turn be pumped back into the economy,” he pointed out.

PKR had last week promised not to impose new taxes to compensate for any potential loss of revenue from its plan to shelve excise duties to lower the sticker price of cars if it takes power in the next elections.

Malaysians pay inordinately high prices for cars mainly because of the protection afforded to national carmaker Proton since 1984.

The public pays import, excise and sales taxes that translate into some of the highest car prices in the region and the world.

A recent income survey found that a household earning RM3,000 a month could spend up to 50 per cent of its income on maintaining a car.

A cut in car duties — which currently run as high as 105 per cent — could help stimulate the economy by boosting disposable income and reducing household debt burden, analysts have also told The Malaysian Insider.

The high taxes now have resulted in about 20 per cent of the RM581 billion total household debt in the country last year being held in cars, an asset that depreciates over time.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“At the same time, our tax revenue from other means would also increase because when we return RM8 billion into the pockets of Malaysians, this would in turn be pumped back into the economy,” he pointed out. Exceptional . . . LIKE! Frankly the above logic could be applied to almost every other tax or fee or toll or even road tax. The money should be flooating in the system not sequestered by government departments to ‘spend on our behalf’, we can do the spending instead of passing the money to the government to spend ‘for us’. Oh and remember Encik Ramli, – 2 TERMS ONLY, then GTFO of the Dewan and let another try their hand at governance before nepotistic family blocs form, power madness or corruption begins – AGAIN.

“This is why PKR suggests that the next government, whether or not under BN or PR, must abolish the AP system by 2015 in order to comply by agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),” he said. “This is why PKR suggests that the next government adheres to the commitment to abolish the AP system by 2015. But for the first three years from 2013 to 2015, necessary measures must be taken to ensure that we get the best value from the APs issued through this open auction,” he said.

How about abolishing the AP system immediately? But Pakatan would rather not educate the citizens or voters on how (lets say at 3 APs per receipient) AP enriches 23,000 or less cronies while the rest of the populace has to pay these 23,000 people who doubtless will Pakatan voters and supporters! This is unjust and, 23K people will be enriched at the expense of everyone else . . . thats 0.1% out of 26+ million citizens. Who is stupid enough to support this sort of thing? Just scrap the AP system, this is stealing from BN to enrich PR! Drop the pretence and WORK or do business or what not. AP is RENT-SEEKING plain and simple – for 23,000 CRONIES!!! Want to do something real? Allow car modders to indulge their modifications and see a boom in the most important lower end economy of garage owners and small accessory or customisable part imports, REAL work and REAL economy, not this 23K cronies get rent seeking money justified by bad laws.

Then remove Road Toll Concessionaires or limit charges to no more than 10% of month salaries at most! This way disposable income will not end up in ‘Toll Booth Corp’ or what not crony company! PAS not talking about bulldozing Tolls anymore? Greed got to them then? During the Prophet’s time, EVERYONE travelled for free, and the only people who stopped others and asked for money were HIGHWAY ROBBERS or BEGGARS which are now legitimized into the toll booth form! Even beggars are rich (though they pretend to be poor) and highway robbers have moved to high tech or less risky or more people friendly ways of making cash – like targeting the wealthy, ripping out ATMs and stealing cars for parts! The Toll Booth structure is too much like PROTECTION MONEY and gangsterism! Even gangsters prefer to set up their own pubs or mini-casinos (LEGALIZE THIS non-Muslim ENTERTAINMENT – Issue Mini Licenses . . . or run for candidacy as indies who will! ) instead than need to go door to door demanding cash. So think how unpleasant and lowly Toll Booths are in the eyes of the Rakyat (For the ‘adventurous’, how about – – – – ing the Toll Booth as well . . . ). Start bulldozing the Toll Booths or limiting the charges to no more than 10% of income at most . . .

Rafizi pointed out that under the country’s National Automotive Policy (NAP) in 2005, the AP system was supposed to be abolished by December 31, 2010, but was instead extended by five years to 2015.

The whole point of AFTA is do remove red tape and make the burden less on the consumers. These delays are intolerable. And no matter what way they present Vehicular AP, BN or PR, there is no wealth being spread here, but rent seeking and parasitism of political parties off ordinary citizens! These guys also do know that Bumiputra Apartheid was supposed to be ended in 1976 but to honestly concede, some of us are aware of how entrenched and stagnant the shameful AP mentality is now. 3 years eh? But what about completing the end of the Reid Commission’s near 60 year postponed review like gentlemen who can keep their word? The Malay leader who speaks about this would gain the respect of the international community – the above is more compromise and pandering to weakness than progress but that Reid Commission Review cannot be ignored any more. Will 3rd Force win on the back of this against BN and Pakatan failures to address? Pakatan must be aware that the very same could be given by BN IMMEDIATELY or in a statuary declaration by 3rd Force indie candidates as well. So how about making moves to ensure tha 30-40% non-Malay demographic as well with something definitive towards :

BESUT, Aug 2 — A civil servant allegedly threatened his neighbour with a paintball gun in Kampung Raja here, after his child was awakened by fireworks yesterday afternoon.

He was later detained by police at 11.25 pm last night.

“The 44-year-old suspect went to the victim’s house about 12.30 pm and threatened to shoot him with a paintball gun,” Besut police chief Supt Kamaruddin Zakaria told Bernama here today.

The victim, a 35-year-old labourer, lodged a report at the village police station the same evening, he added.

“We also seized a paintball gun at the suspect’s house,” he said.

Kamaruddin said the suspect was detained for criminal intimidation under the Penal Code and for not having a licence for the gun. — Bernama

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Any person with common sense would be laughing if someone threatened with a paintball gun and invite the person to a paintball game or match. Seized a paintball gun? Licensing is needed for a painball gun?!? So will a can of paint be considered similar to a grenade? I think the cops need to go after those with real illegal weapons instead. PB guns are toys. Fireworks in residential areas (especially at certain hours) are an offense though. Commercial areas, not really. The police sure this arrest or even this Penal Code is correct or makes sense?

ARTICLE 12

We are Malay-Muslims, we are entitled (the author is being sarcastic) 1 August 2012 | Why You Can, I Cannot? | Posted by Syahredzan Johan

Syahredzan Johan asks during this holy month, are Malay-Muslims entitled to better rights than others?

So you are fasting. The sun is bearing down on you, your stomach is growling and your throat is parched. It is only 12.30 in the afternoon; you still have hours to go before you may break your fast. All of a sudden, a non-Muslim person appears before you, enjoying an icy cold can of your favourite cola. He looks like he is savouring the cola. You could imagine the sensation of that very same cola filling your throat with diabetes-inducing caffeine goodness. So you flare up. How dare this person drink in front of you? Does he have no respect for the holy month of Ramadhan, to be wantonly quenching his thirst in full view of Muslims? Does he not know that Muslims form the majority of this country and therefore must be respected?

This is the basic premise prevalent amongst many Malay-Muslims in this country. Muslims form the majority and therefore they are entitled to be respected. Malay-Muslim sensitivities must not be offended; the Malay-Muslim public must be protected from harm, confusion and many other bad and insidious things that may threaten the ummah. In recent times, these deep rooted sentiments are brought to the fore by opportunistic politicians. Thus it appeared as if Malay-Muslims have become more and more intolerant of minorities.

Malay-Muslims are entitled not to have a Hindu temple in the vicinity of their housing estate. Malay-Muslims are entitled to dictate what names others may invoke the Creator. Malay-Muslims are entitled to stop the sale of alcohol beverages and deny the establishment of a cinema in Malay majority areas.

Every Friday, Malay-Muslims are entitled to abandon their civic consciousness and park all over the place as if the streets belong to them. Malays-Muslims are entitled to blare religious ceramahs to every corner of the neighbourhood and into the wee hours of the night.

The prime minister must be Malay-Muslim, the civil service must be filled with Malay-Muslims and government bodies are seen as Malay institutions, tasked first and foremost to safeguard Malay and Muslim interests.

This premise of entitlement has also been used to justify the persecution and discrimination against sexual and religious minorities, purportedly because Article 3 provides that Islam is the religion of the Federation. So we say that LBGTs do not enjoy protection of the Constitution because their sexual orientations are against Islam, although we conveniently forget that other things, like gambling, are also forbidden in Islam but are still legal in this country. Books are seized and banned and fatwas are made absolute. In a recent decision, the Federal Court went so far to say that the integrity of the religion needs to be safeguarded at all costs. Does ‘at all costs’ include the supremacy of the Federal Constitution as the highest law of the land?

Make no mistake, this is not about Islam. It is about how we justify the discrimination, persecution and blatant disregard for fundamental liberties, all in the name of religion. It is how we view and treat others as inferior to us because we believe that we are entitled to do so. We permit transgressions because we labour under this presumption that Malay-Muslims, by virtue of being Malays and Muslims, are entitled to the best of the country as they occupy a higher standing than the rest of the rakyat out there.

There is no legal or constitutional basis for this. Article 3 does not make Malaysia an Islamic state and Article 4 expressly provides that the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Article 8 provides that every citizen is equal before the law and enjoys equal protection of the law. The oft quoted Article 153 does not make Malay-Muslims superior in law or fact, it only provides for the reservation of quotas for Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak in certain matters.

So what if Muslims are the majority? We have such a flawed understanding of democracy; as if in a democracy, the rights of minorities are inferior to the rights of the majority. That is why we have a Constitution, which protects and guarantees the fundamental liberties of citizens from the tyranny of the majority.

We find ourselves up in arms at the fate of Muslims minorities in other countries like Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and China. We invoke freedom of religion when we hear of minarets being banned in Switzerland or burqas being banned in France. But if the rights of Muslim minorities should be protected in the face of the majority, why is it that we do not have the same vigour to protect the rights our non-Muslim minorities? Why must the rights of others here only be exercised if we deem those rights as exercisable?

So before you take offence at someone who is drinking in front of you while you are fasting, take a step back and think of your religion. Put aside your sense of entitlement and think; just because you are fasting, does it mean that everyone else around you must stow away their food and drinks?

Posted on 1 August 2012. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.

Read more articles posted by Syahredzan Johan.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Apply accordingly the laws. In China or India, does a Malay or Muslim who is a full citizen have full access to whatever social services or some acronym b.s. government outfit funded equally from all tax payers? So in Malaysia, the same can only be applied on Chinese or Indian. This Syahredzan Johan writer sounds like an MP worthy sort, do run for private candidacy if able to endorse :

I believe that parallel comparisons of policy and constitution in Malaysia to India, and Malaysia to China, will confirm that the Indian and Chinese citizens here in Malaysia are getting a very bad deal – social and economic apartheid, and that the Indian or Chinese reps. (out of sheer greed or fear and cowardice) here have failed their duty as ‘leaders’ of their commmunities for allowing APARTHEID while the Malay MPs have been complict in not acting against such ill natured and shameful policy.

Selected Commentator Comments :

@starranise – 1 August 2012 – 5:54 pm

Apologising to all Muslims during Ramadhan when you have done nothing wrong is unnecessary. It is your right to eat or drink whenever you choose. You’re not the one fasting. Resisting temptations is one of the fundamental motives behind fasting. It is part of a Muslim’s trial. If they are offended or angry with you, they are jeopardising their own fast. Food and drink are secondary to the process of fasting. It is discipline, patience, consideration, empathy, feeling at peace with oneself and the people around you. That’s the deeper meaning of Ramadhan.

KUALA LUMPUR- Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew of DAP was taken to task by a MCA leader yesterday for not explaining why there was a growing number of illegal massage parlours operating in Selangor.

MCA Selangor liaison committee secretary Wong Kun Moon claimed that since DAP and its allies took over the state in 2008, the number of massage parlours had increased from 800 to 4,000.

“Liu had repeatedly denied this during state assembly sessions by saying that the previous administration under Barisan Nasional had put a freeze on the applications of new massage parlours since 2006.

“However, despite the freeze, about 3,200 illegal centres are now operating in the state,” Wong said when contacted yesterday.

(Liu is the Selangor executive council member in charge of Local Government, Research and Development and also Pandamaran assemblyman.)

Wong said several Selangor leaders, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, had queried Liu over the rising number of illegal massage parlours in the state.

“Every time the issue is raised, Liu will put the blame on the previous BN-led Selangor government.”

According to Wong, there were about 4,000 massage parlours operating in the state and a majority of them had no licence.

“There are more than 400 illegal centres operating in Klang alone. If Liu is sceptical, I urge him to take a look for himself and to stop lying.”

Wong, who is also Kuala Kubu Baru assemblyman, also urged Liu to clarify the matter by disclosing the number of massage parlours approved by the state government since 2008.

“The Selangor government has the authority to issue permits for these parlours, but its failure to enforce its rules over these centres has resulted in the rise of social problems.”

Wong also challenged Liu to prove he was not colluding with the owners of such centres “for his own personal benefit”.

He was referring to an incident on Nov 2, 2007, where Liu was accused of inciting the staff and customers of a hotel in Puchong to prevent a Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) enforcement officer from performing his duties.

In the anti-vice operation, police and MPSJ officers had raided the unlicensed hotel and detained 22 foreign prostitutes, including 12 male patrons.

In response to the allegations, Liu told Wong to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims and challenged him to disclose the list of the 4,000 massage parlours within 24 hours.

– New Straits Times

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We may not like Ronnie Liu supporting nepotism (close 1 eye mentality to democracy killing nepotism by Ronnie shows unethical mindset), but in this case let the people hang around these supposedly illegal bars instead of getting bored which leads to all kinds of negative behaviour. Make drinks cheap so they will be drinking instead of robbing to pay for expensive drinks. Legalise small-bet casinos and RLDs or Organics Psychedelics Bars so that they will be playing games and f- – – ing, or getting pleasantly stoned (price controls on organics please, these things grow FOR FREE and cost nothing!!! Prohibition mindset causes crime and high prices.) Instead of robbing people and burgling homes. Take away the entertainment districts at your own risk fools.

Guess who the first people they target will be? The MPs, Assemblymen, EXCOs, Residents Committees, even the people who set customs duties and tax levels (too damn high) and any law makers who took away their entertainment or made entertainment too expensive . . . on top of apartheid and extreme religion the Malaysian Fed Gov. want to take away places of entertainment? The Malaysian Fed Gov. must be insane . . . run for election and remove these red tape extremists and moralists. There are fun loving people who are not Muslims that need their spaces for entertainment too. Licence and legalize instead of creating more dangerous urban environments by boring the citizens out of their minds AMEND LAWS or GTFO of Dewan! . . .

ARTICLE 14

Fined for offensive weapon possesion, failure to produce IC – Thursday, August 02, 2012 – 15:48 – by Bernama
A MECHANIC was fined RM1,000, in default a month’s jail, by the Magistrate’s Court here today for possession of an offensive weapon in front of a hotel here last week.

Magistrate Azmil Muntapha Abas handed down the sentence on Mohamad Audadi Mad Sarmor, 24, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

He was charged with having an iron knuckle duster in front of GEA Hotel, Jalan Hang Kasturi, Dang Wangi here at 2.20am last July 27.

Azmil Muntapha also fined another RM1,000, in default a month’s jail, for failing to produce his identity card or personal documents when requested by the police at the same place, time and date.

Azmil Muntapha allowed him bail of RM4,000 in one surety and set Sept 10 for mention.

Earlier, Zuraimi requested bail at RM5,000, but Johan, who was unrepresented, requested for a lower bail, saying that he had five children, including a two-year-old, and was the sole breadwinner.

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A knuckle duster is no less dangerous than any metal components or machine parts that can act like knuckledusters, or a glass bottled drink, any table wear or a heavy handbag filled with coins. Even a heavy chain for locking up gates is as dangerous. This is not a very good law. Then also the IC which is overkill. The police could ask the person to go home and pick up the IC instead of fining the person. 1000 is alot of money for most of the lower income types! Even 50 is alot . . . Actually knuckle dusters are manly accessories much like large steel rings set with large faceted stones on every finger.

Illegal to wear large rings on every finger then?

Even a steel weight for training could become a weapon more dangerous than a knuckle duster. How could the law be so unreasonable? Leave the ‘cool guys’ alone until they actually hurt someone. Just because someone forgot an IC or wore a knuckle duster does not entitle the state to treat them so badly or take awat so much money from them, inconvenience them with the court etc… The police are men too are they not? So don’t oppress your fellow men. These are MALE accessories. Surely the police have male relatives that keep their sense of ‘macho’ in an item or few on their person at all times? Amend all these chilling effect laws immediately! By this sort of logic, might as well ban motor vehicles, which possibly account for as many if not most of the injuries and deaths world wide overall . . .

Hardly weapons, but cool looking accessories . . . some handbags also incorporate knuckle dusters into the handles as a design statement.

ARTICLE 15

Several DAP Indian leaders furious at being left out – Sunday, 05 August 2012 Super Admin

(The Star) – Several DAP Indian leaders are furious after reports of their activities were conspicuously missing from the inaugural issue of the party’s Tamil newsletter, Makkal Kural (Peoples’ Voice).

They said only programmes of selected leaders were given prominence in the eight-page newsletter, which is distributed free.

There was also a question-and-answer with Kulasegaran and a one-page report on former Hindraf leader V. Ganabatirau.

Conspicuously missing were reports on DAP deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy and other Indian elected MPs and state assemblymen from the party.

DAP Bagan division assistant secretary G. Asoghan said many questioned why the newsletter did not carry reports of other DAP Indian leaders.

“This newsletter is for distribution to the Indian voters. We have to show what our (Indian) leaders have achieved to be able to convince them to support us,” he said.

“Anyone reading the newsletter will have the impression that Ambiga is a DAP leader. It is our own newsletter and we must highlight our leaders,” he said.

Pahang vice-chairman J. Appala-samy said he was surprised as he had compiled the reports of the various Indian leaders.

“None was used. For me, it was a waste of time,” he said.

A national DAP official said there would always be complaints but they will look into it.

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Several Indian leaders could set up an alternative Indian based party not beholden to the term limitless DAP Karpal family bloc nor lapdogs that accept apartheid like MIC. How about teaming up with Hindraf? DAP always glory hogs, and DAP is infected by PAP-USA-Zionist mentality. How about a 3rd Force NEUTRAL party? Look at Konsensus Bebas which is daring enough to kick Pakatan where deserved by leaving and setting up their own (unfortunately very likely lapdog party – as claimed by RPK had received millions in bribes to defect – that has not spoken against APARTHEID). In these few Indian leaders’ case, seperate from DAP and set up a 3rd Force Party working towards :

Konsensus Bebas might yet drop alliance with BN and with several Indian leaders here, a viable party in Penang could be set up to remove BOTH Pakatan’s nepotist gloryhog cliques and BN’s racists. The Rakyat should already be clear enough that the term limitless creeps hjave been in power too long, now punish Pakatan and DAP by dropping the undemocratic and sidelining freaks. Local intelligensia can dedicate efforts to Pakatan but not even the courtesy of an invitation to join or response. Indian leaders here, do you know how to respond to DAP’s Rakyat unfriendly and politically-door-closing sidelining behaviour?

Well, in case you have not realised, Yang Berhormat, not only same-sex marriages, as you said, erode the family institution. Sex outside marriage does as well. And there are many more Malaysians bonking outside marriage than Malaysians entering same-sex marriages. So why aren’t you appealing to all Malaysians to ‘protest en masse’ regarding this? This is a bigger problem than same-sex marriages.

(Bernama) – Malaysians of all races should protest en masse the practice of same sex marriages as they would erode the family institution, advised Minister in Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

Commenting on the recent wedding reception here of Malaysian gay Christian priest, Ngeo Boon Lin and his musical producer partner, Phineas Newborn III, who were married in New York last year, he said that even the Christians in the country prohibited such practices.

“The reception portrayed Malaysian society as confused. It’s clear their motive was to fight for gay rights,” he said.

He was speaking a press conference after breaking fast with the Department and agencies’ staff at the National Mosque, here.

**************************************

There are five references in the Qur’an regarding gay behaviour. The two main references to homosexual behaviour are:

“We also sent Lut : He said to his people : “Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” Qur’an 7:80-81

“What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, and leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are forward folk.” Qur’an 26:165

Both these verses refer to gay sexual activities involving men. Gay sexual activities involving women or lesbian practices are not mentioned in the Qur’an. There is at least one mention of lesbian behaviour in the Hadith, though. However, while traditionalist orthodox Muslims regard the Hadith as the authentic sayings of Prophet Muhammad, liberal Muslims doubt their authenticity. And some sects of Islam reject the Hadith totally or have a different version of the Hadith.

In many Muslim countries, homosexuality is condemned and subject to legal punishment. The specific punishment varies among jurists, ranging from jail time and/or flogging to the death penalty. In Islam, capital punishment is reserved only for the most grievous crimes that would hurt society as a whole. Some jurists place homosexuality under that category, particularly in countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen etc.

Arrest and punishment for homosexual crimes, however, are not frequently carried out because Islam also places a strong emphasis on an individual’s right to privacy. If a ‘crime’ is not committed in the public sphere, it is largely overlooked as being a matter between the individual and God.

Now, is that clear, especially to the non-Muslims reading this piece? In short, a crime that is damaging to society is taken seriously and the punishment is severe. A crime that does not affect society and is committed behind closed doors is between you and God.

One very important aspect of Islam is: a person’s privacy must be respected and you should not spy on your neighbour. Spying on your neighbour is a bigger sin than the sin committed by your neighbour behind closed doors.

Now, why is the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, so kaypoh about what others do? Whatever perceived sin the Christian priest, Ngeo Boon Lin, and his partner, Phineas Newborn III, did was done outside Malaysia. Even if a crime had been committed it was done so outside Malaysia’s jurisdiction. If these two had committed a crime then let the US punish them since they did it on US soil. What next does the Minister want to do? Peep on Malaysians in the UK who do not pray and fast and drink beer? Do you think Scotland Yard has no other problems to deal with?

If you were to ask a Muslim what is Islam all about, he or she would reply that Islam is about justice. If you were to ask a Muslim who may support the Islamic Sharia laws, in particular that branch of the Sharia called Hudud, he or she would reply: because the Sharia and Hudud is about justice.

Islam And Obsession of Muslims With Sex (and homosex)

But why do the religious scholars and politicians always and only talk about sex?

Islam is supposed to be about justice. But they talk as if Islam is only about sex. Everything that comes out of their mouths is about sex. I am yet to hear anyone talk about justice. It is always about sex. You are giving people the impression that Islam is so focused on sex that sex has become an obsession to Muslims.

Okay, Islam is against homosexuality. I am not going to deny that fact. But Islam also says that what you do behind closed doors is between you and God. Islam also says you should not spy on your neighbour or peep into your neighbour’s house. Islam also says that what you do in your home is your business as long as what you do does not hurt society. Only if it hurts society should we be concerned, even if it is done in the privacy of your home and office.

So, what are these crimes that do affect society and which we should be concerned about even if committed in the privacy of your home and office, and which the Minister should be talking about? Well, what about bribery, corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement of the country’s (meaning taxpayers’) resources, police violence, manipulation of the judiciary, cronyism, nepotism, racism, persecution, denial of someone’s fundamental rights, etc? There are loads and loads of sins and crimes that affect society and which Islam forbids. And on a list of 100 such sins and crimes, homosexuality sits at the bottom of that list. Yet we talk about the bottom 100th and not the top 99.

What is wrong with Muslims? They turn Islam into a religion of ridicule. And when people ridicule Islam these Muslims get angry. They threaten revenge and bloodshed. They demand death for those who insult Islam and/or Prophet Muhammad.

How do you expect people not to insult Islam if the Muslims themselves make a mockery of Islam? When you act like a lunatic of course people are going to call you a lunatic. And when Muslims act like lunatics you can expect non-Muslims to say that Islam is a bad religion.

You are demanding for non-Muslims to respect Islam. But how can you expect them to respect Islam when Muslims themselves act disrespectfully toward their own religion. You are turning Islam into a circus with the things you are doing and saying. And when people laugh you get angry.

Malaysians of all races should protest en masse the practice of same-sex marriages as they would erode the family institution, advised the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

Well, in case you have not realised, Yang Berhormat, not only same-sex marriages, as you said, erode the family institution. Sex outside marriage does as well. And there are many more Malaysians bonking outside marriage than Malaysians entering same-sex marriages. So why aren’t you appealing to all Malaysians to ‘protest en masse’ regarding this? This is a bigger problem than same-sex marriages.

Bangang sungguh menteri Melayu ni!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

This above is the ‘cleaned up version’ as far as I can note. Read the original littered with propaganda and NLPs at :

Also there are also some who actually tolerate or turn a blind eye to what their wives do for some emotional reasons, or for the sake of keeping appearances for their young or (familial stability craving) children (in this case the Syariah Courts and Islam have no right to destroy such private efforts to keep face or contrived respectability). In some other cases the older Muslim wife has been ‘given leave’ (verbally or non-verbally the intent is clear) by the husband who has new wives or a mistress even though the libido of the old (or aging) wife is still strong. These sorts of situations probably are met with very insensitive treatment by the Syariah Courts if any, given even that the religious police even target Mat Sallehs (in a most tribal/communal and uneducated manner), who sleep with Malay GROs or even casual sex between races by young persons married (more problematic) or unmarried (still a Human Right, but try broaching this IRL in Malaysia and get some very ugly feelings and looks, even outright violence).

Meanwhile the LGBT community which keeps to themselves is targeted, Muslims are effectively disallowed from going apostate – Inquisition style. Is Malaysia a civil society? Hardly and I’d say the Islamic Al-Azhar University at Cairo needs to send a delegation headed by a ‘Grand Inquisitor’ to address these Syariah and Hudud inspired abuses occuring in Malaysia by gathering all the State Muftis, Imams, Mullahs also Religious Police, any (corrupted as hell, also power mad likely, Federal Department Heads related to Islam) here and TELLING THEM CLEARLY what punishment or enforcement is allowed in Islam, the above examples invlving adultry definitely amounts to abuse – Bumiputra Apartheid IS an abuse.

Note that I do not mention the Sultans who are supposed to be the Heads of the Ummah here but who evidently would retain more dignity if Faith and State were separate . . . given the terrible mess ‘on the ground’ a far cry from insular world they live in (no Muslim would ever broach again, the parochialism in malay society is still medieval and thus the vicious cycles of ‘bohsia’ in abuses of all sorts continues without address) mentioning the same would be a disservice in some ways for certain, let the dirt of politics messed with faith be fronted by the above groups instead . . . doubtless Cairo would find that Malaysia is run as if by medieval era tribal minded barbarian warlords via religious codes, NOT educated and NOT civilised people.

Heck that delegation might even give Nik Aziz flak for views on hudud, specifically limb hacking! How about this ‘clean up’ tour of duty Al Azhar University? Tell Malaysian Muslims right at the top levels how Malay Muslims shame themselves with their ill treatment and abuse of the Ummah and even non-Muslims here! Then also tell these fundo-cases that Malaysia has no right to withhold :

Any honest Muslim cannot deny the points just made above. And Ulama though honest to what the Quran might be in their limited intellect or lack of communication outside their own community (much less internationally o understanding of the UNHCR) to understand or apply, render the Islamic faith in Malaysia dishonest and abusive in effect, especially so in a multipolar, multi faith or multi ethnic society that can only be equal and humane. Want to try what some of us have suffered? So please send that Inquisitor’s delegation from Al-Azhar pronto! Al-Azhar Islamic university in Cairo needs to give BOTH Muslims and non-Muslims a hand here in backward 3rd world, barbaric Malaysia! Get over here, hear out the abused and aggrieved, for those who want to go apostate but DARE NOT, for those who are not allowed non-Muslim rights, and tell these fundo-cases off !

No doubt Islam had Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Father of Modern Turkey, the seat of the Ottoman Empire, who attempted to impose the separation of church and state. Atatürk, however, although viewed as a reformist by those from the west, is viewed as a traitor by most Muslim scholars. In fact, people like the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, label Atatürk as an apostate and one of Islam’s greatest traitors.

(Malaysian Digest) – Do not politicise Islam, as it can lead to disunity.

This was the message sent out by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who said Islam should instead be placed at the highest level so that a lot of problems faced by the Muslim community could be overcome.

“We must not politicise the religion, as Islam is not politics.”

“If politics is made to be above Islam, the Muslim community will be confronted with a lot of problems, causing disunity which today is the source of the community’s weaknesses and the enemies of Islam belittling the religion,” he said in his speech at the at the Quran reciting completion and breaking-of-fast at the Tan Sri Ainuddin Wahid Mosque, Taman Universiti in Skudai, here, yesterday.

Najib said the Barisan Nasional administration has always prioritised Islam in its governance of the country, and adhered to the requirements of the religion.

“We developed our administration based on syariah and that is the Islamic requirement for us and among the five things we have done is looking after Islam, and that is why Malaysia is known as an Islamic country.”

“We protect the Islamic faith and character, promote the religion, provide Islamic infrastructure and Islamic law and so on,” he said.

Najib said the government’s success in managing Malaysia well, despite facing numerous challenges, was recognised by other Islamic nations to the extent that Malaysia is now the model for a successful Islamic country.

However, he stressed that the government has never neglected the welfare and interest of Malaysians, as it has extended numerous forms of aid, which are not available to people in other countries.

“Last night, I was in Bachok, Kelantan where I found out that there is even aid for disturbance from wildlife, for instance, you can get aid if you’re bitten by a snake. Where else in the world, a government does this?”

“This is a government which takes care of the overall welfare of the people, where we want an Islamic concept and the same time, we want progress and development.”

“We don’t want Islam to be linked to poverty and weakness but to be linked to strength and empowerment because Allah loves people who are successful,” he said.

******************************************

Here we go again. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is preaching Islam to Malaysians. I doubt, however, the ulama’ (religious scholars) would agree with Najib’s prognosis on Islam — if they are honest ulama’, that is. Either Najib has the wrong impression of Islam or he is indulging in wishful thinking.

To understand the present, we need to go back and look at the origins, the origins of religion, that is. Let us start with Christianity and I am going to refer to Britain for purposes of this discussion.

Britain used to be pagan. In the beginning the druids ruled Britain and the Britons worshiped many gods. 50 years or so before the birth of Christ, the Romans invaded Britain and brought their gods to the island, also paganism. This triggered a struggle between the old English gods and the new Roman gods.

Around 400-500 years later, the Romans left Britain and the Saxons and Franks began to migrate to Britain in hordes, as did the Vikings. They too brought their gods. Invariably, Britain saw 500 years of wars between the many kings, as Britain did not have one king but different kings ruled the different regions (at that time there were more kings and gods than virgins in Britain).

In 313, the Emperor Constantine granted the Christians freedom of worship. Thereafter Christianity began to rapidly spread and it was only a matter of time before it reached Britain. Some say Constantine died a Christian while others say he died a pagan (only he would know).

The Britons and Saxons, however, resisted Christianity and it was not until the Christians took up arms that paganism was defeated and replaced with Christianity. Hence Christianity was spread through the use of force.

Around that time, Islam began to establish itself in the Arabian Peninsular and it too began to spread at the point of a sword, just like Christianity had done over 300 years before that. Hence both Islam and Christianity spread the same way, through conquests and persecution.

Eventually, Christendom saw the separation of church and state. But this did not happen overnight. It took more than 1,000 years for that to happen. Islam, however, although it took the same route as Christianity to spread, did not go the same route of separation of church and state, as Christianity had.

In short, both Islam and Christianity started the same way, by the use of force. However, they did not both end up the same way. Christianity the church ‘split’ into two entities while Islam the adeen remained one entity.

No doubt Islam had Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Father of Modern Turkey, the seat of the Ottoman Empire, who attempted to impose the separation of church and state. Atatürk, however, although viewed as a reformist by those from the west, is viewed as a traitor by most Muslim scholars. In fact, people like the PAS President, Abdul Hadi Awang, label Atatürk as an apostate and one of Islam’s greatest traitors.

The notion of separation of church and state is not an acceptable concept in Islam. And any ‘true’ Muslim would agree with this. To disagree would make you a deviant Muslim or a Muslim who is defying God’s command and who is violating the Qur’an.

As I said, Najib either has the wrong impression of Islam or he is indulging in wishful thinking. Islam has not yet gone the way of Christianity in being able to accept the concept of separation of church and state. Will that time ever come? I don’t know but for sure it is not going to happen in our lifetime — so don’t hold your breath or else you might turn blue.

Now, if you are an honest Muslim, you will acknowledge this fact. To argue otherwise means you are not being honest and are trying to mislead the people. So, Najib, are you an honest person or not? And if you can understand this then you might be able to understand PAS as well.

The ulama’ (religious scholars) are out of touch with LIVING reality and obsessed with the afterlife, they do not understand what politicians understand. Najib’s ‘prognosis’ is not necessarily wrong as this is pplicable to the majority portion of LIVING Muslims, and we do know most Muslims ARE NOT focused on the afterlife like the dedicated Ulama. Now if the Muslim population in general thought like Ulama though, Islamic civilisation would not even need sovereign states or kings but only want to be judged as pure and pious, focusing on the afterlife – this would mean that ALL MUSLIMS by now if they were ‘Ulama minded’ or ‘honest Muslim’ would have forgone most earthly trappings for afterlife instead.

Honesty is knowing that Muslims would be destroyed were they ‘Ulama minded’, Islam is a relgion for the old and the dispassionate, and no honest Muslim would be able to progress in most of the ‘modern world’ otherwise. Malays though are ANIMIST originally, and being born in an animist region of the world, will not be likely to pledge allegiance to the far off Kabaa spiritual colony, thus making political relevance always stronger than religious afterlife obsessed Islam’s ‘honesty’. RPK a traditionalist? Well unless Islam is intended to be ‘Amish’ in scope WITH women living like nuns and men quite insular and living within their own comunities, an honest Muslim will be the picture of stagnation . . .

The notion of separation of church and state is not an acceptable concept in Islam BUT necessary if Muslims are to be able to engage the rest of the world, without being able to separate the two we end up with the suicide belt types or extreme among Taliban with honour killings and what not, RPK must understand that this seperation f Church and State is a DEVELOPMENT in Islam, Hadhari if you will (not Badawi’s Hadhari but hadhari nevertheless), Najib is as astute as those writing articles to elicit responses which will be entered simply to enable a large portion of humanity to get along with everyone else. An honest Muslim cannot deny the points just made above. And Ulama though honest to what the Quran might be, are not considering what politicians and the state have to deal with, thus rendering the word of the Ulama dishonest in effect, especially so in a multipolar multi faith or multi ethnic society.

Good meanderings of thought with a skewed stand are better than no meanderings at all RPK . . . but that an article as above would take aging Malay (former) royalty with all the funds and social networks available and an education at University to produce this half baked sort of thought process is telling (what I leave to the reader to decide) . . . If only Najib were less corrupt and UN Human Rights Charter aware, would abolish the apartheid Bumiputra system, and not be enmired in C4 cases would that second term as PM should be assured and allow BN to win, but it is still not too late to endorse :

Politics is dirt and sullies any and all faiths. the sooner Muslims realise this and not be so lazy as to be unable to differentiate the hegelian dialectic of the 2, Malaysia will be a better place. With PM Najib on this statement, but deplore Najib’s inability to implement the above 3 items. RPK, Najib would be one up on a debate about necessity of seperation of state and faith. Not so ‘no holds barred‘ now eh? Establishment poseur . . . change that outdated thinking, or just stay in England and retire among the pseudointellectuals spouting semi intelligent, if not propaganda filled nonsense as above. Some people are good for the country, some people are not.

But that’s just NOT it; Islam IS NOT politics

Still hate LGBT? Or prepared to withdraw an article or few? The older generation is old ! (and full of selfish and self serving contradications)

ARTICLE 18

Note that currently Malaysia makes illegal possession or set-up of your own satellite dish in Malaysia. A person convicted under Section 239 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 can be fined up to RM100,000 or jailed up to two years, or both. Do the Rakyat really want these laws? To enrich Astro and the colluding MPs’ monopoly? Or does the Rakyat prefer the MPs to make this law redundant so that Malaysians can watch everything that is free world wide? why should we pay anything at all to watch what is free after all? Because the Rakyat did not think before voting, the Rakyat did allowed MPs that will keep these idiot laws in place.Iif 222 MPs decide to scrap Section 239 to ALLOW Satellite dishes, Astro could go out of business, and Malaysian television would become even more redundant *BUT* – the Rakyat could access ALL channels world wide without having to pay a single cent. Do you love the Rakyat? Do you want the Rakyat to vote for you? So help the Rakyat end an unnecessary monopoly.

The owner of this dish definitely would not be able to afford ‘Astro’ fees but because the lucky fellers are not in Malaysia’s collusive monopoly minded law writers grips, they get ALL the channels of the world without the government harrassing them. Vote for MPs who will end Section 239!

Voters demand that your MP accede to ending Section 239 before voting for said MP. If the MP will scrap Section 239 the MP is votable. If that MP does not want to, then said MP has been on the take from Astro and does not want freedom of information which a private satellite dish can give. Also remember the items . . . any MP who can sign a statuary declaration to give :

;would likely win enough seats to become PM. Racists and fundos, crony capitalists and ponzi communications companies won’t like the above but the above is the best way forward for Malaysia. Any MP who refuses to scrap Section 239 is UNVOTABLE. Make private satellite dishes legal and stop enriching monopolistic companies that government allows! This is as bad as Anti-Trust or Anti-Monopoly anywhere else! Illegal and an abuse via profiteering off the Rakyat!

More low cost slum dwellers who get to access more of the world’s channels than any Malaysian ever will UNTIL the term limitless nepotist and racist MPs who refuse to remove Section 239 GTFO of Dewan or AMEND and ABOLISH OFFENDING LAWS! 222 Unvotable MPs seating in Dewan!

Deafening silence from cousins Najib and Hisham: Are they behind the political thuggery? – by Lim Kit Siang – Friday, 25 May 2012 17:28

The question Malaysians are asking is whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussin are encouraging a political culture of aggression, thuggery and violence by their failure to condemn the recent series of disruptions and attacks on Pakatan Rakyat functions!

Is this the route for Malaysia to take to become the world’s best democracy as Najib had boasted after Bersih 2.0 on July 9 last year?

Is this the example Najib is setting for the world on what he meant when he called for a Global Movement of Moderates to isolate and marginalize the extremists?

Lembah Pantai, before that Merlimau

Yesterday, a Pakatan Rakyat ceramah in Lembah Pantai was pelted with eggs and stones, leaving several injured and bloodied.

Earlier this week, another PR ceramah in Pekan Bangi, Selangor was disrupted by a group who threw stones at the crowd.

Last Saturday, a high-tea event in Merlimau that was scheduled to feature Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan was blocked by protestors and two DAP Malacca State Assemblymen, Khoo Poay Tiong (Ayer Keroh ) and Tey Kok Kiew (Bandar Hilir) were pelted with eggs and stones, while several vehicles were damaged.

This morning, the office of PKR MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah in Pantai Dalam was pelted with more eggs while PAS Bukit Gantang MP and former Pakatan Rakyat Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin complained that eleven cars were splashed with blue paint at his ceramah in Kampung Sayong Lembah, Kuala Kangsar yesterday.

Deafening silence

For more than a week, my call for the restoration of decency and civility to politics and public life in Malaysia had fallen completely on deaf ears as far as the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Minister and UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and political leaders are concerned – although one “uncivilized” act after another had marred Malaysian politics and public life like the Perkasa “funeral rite” in front of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s house in Penang, the setting up of a burger stall and the “butt dance” by a group of armed forces veteran in front of Ambiga’s house at Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur and the demonstrations by anti-Bersih groups outside Ambiga’s house yesterday.

The Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Minister, UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders are continuing to comment on all sorts of things under the sun but they are signally silent on the increase and escalation of incidents of aggression, thuggery and violence particularly at Pakatan Rakyat events and functions.

What message is Najib and Hishammuddin seeking to convey with their silence, which could only be construed as “silent blessing” for the spate of aggression, thuggery and violence at Pakatan Rakyat functions?

Najib and Hishammuddin must condemn and dissociate themselves from the increase and escalation of deplorable incidents at PR events if they do not want to be regarded as encouraging a political culture of aggression, thuggery and violence by their prolonged silence on the recent series of disruptions and attacks on PR functions!

Lim Kit Siang is the DAP MP for Ipoh Timur

Commentator responses :

Friday, 25 May 2012 22:53 posted by Observer

One cousin promised to bathe his keris in non-Malay blood in Oct 1987 and the other kissed the keris at the UMNO Youth general assembly. Across the causeway, Goh Keng Swee, one time Finance Minister of Singapore, brought soap flakes along to wash his own underwear in hotel bathrooms whenever he was overseas; his cousin, Tun Tan Siew Sin, Finance Minister of Malaysia, did the same while overseas. Nothing apocryphal about this story. Goh’s self-laundry chores may be checked in Google under Maurice Baker – one time Law Minister; Tun Tan’s was recounted by none other than P.M.Najib’s father’s right-hand man, then Chief Secretary to the government in the post May 13 days – refer to the June 2009 issue of Off the Edge. This is the same datuk – I thank the Merciful Lord for the kind of datuks we used to have – who told the story about Tun Razak not agreeing to his wife’s request to accompany him on a government flight although he the datuk, Chief Secretary of the Council, was willing to sanction it, and in the end poor gentle Toh Puan Rahah had no choice but to travel by taxi.

Our blood boils when we read about where we stand today as a sovereign nation within ASEAN. Working visit – which visit overseas if done at government expense is not a working visit? Do PMs all over the world doing working visits bring along their wife on every occasion?

Your cousin, Hisham’s nonchalant and sometimes illogical responses on major issues have not helped you either to build a credible solid team to lead Malaysia. But this silence from the two of you on the injuries inflicted by your thugs and goons is the last straw.

No more my friends, we can’t be friends anymore.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The defensive article went : “For more than a week, my call for the restoration of decency and civility to politics and public life in Malaysia had fallen completely on deaf ears as far as the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Minister and UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and political leaders are concerned – although one “uncivilized” act after another had marred Malaysian politics and public life like the Perkasa “funeral rite” in front of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s house in Penang, the setting up of a burger stall and the “butt dance” by a group of armed forces veteran in front of Ambiga’s house at Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur and the demonstrations by anti-Bersih groups outside Ambiga’s house yesterday.”

Pot calls kettle black. Do the decent thing and stop being a term limitless Mubarak (Egypt)/Gaddafi (Libya) Ali Abdullah Salleh (Tunisia) type MP/Governor who places their own children in CM’s posts without vote or quorum or holds an MP’s seat or committee post in a political party without term limits! This is DAP’s own ‘deafening silence’. As for the riots, one wonders if Lim Kit Siang had supported Hussein Onn’s race equal concept party, instead of being a narrow communalist, the riots would never have happened.

In retrospect. Lim Kit Siang was so racist that the riots happened. Hussein Onn made the first correct move, but Kit Siang failed to meet up to expectations and that is the single action that caused the racism and corruption we all have to remove this day. Where are those MP asset declarations? Local Councill Elections? Pretending everything is fine Kit Siang? No better than UMNO and term limitless and equally racist to boot. DAP members, please remove this undemocratic nepotistic term limitless oligarch if DAP is to move forward. DAP is not a family clan association, there must be limits in the committee or DAP continues being a Mubarak-Gaddafi-AliAbdullah Salleh type political party. 2 terms over Mr.Thick Skinned 3rd world political party ‘owner’ and nepotist par excellence? So GTFO of the DAP central committee and out of the Dewan! Unprincipled and undemocratic creep!

KUALA LUMPUR — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned today that violence from protestors at the April 28 Bersih rally is only the beginning of “unceasing violent demonstrations” should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lose an election that must be held within the year.

The former prime minister said in a blog posting that the opposition will continue with their protests until the results of the 13th General Election are rejected and a new government is formed.

“Then they will try to hold a new election which they will manipulate,” said Dr Mahathir, who is still influential in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

The long-serving prime minister’s statement comes just days after Putrajaya launched legal action against Bersih and PKR leaders over the April 28 rally for free and fair elections which had spiralled into chaos as protestors and police clashed on the streets.

Bersih leaders were sued by the government for RM122,000 of repairs to 15 vehicles allegedly damaged during the rally for free and fair elections while opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and two party leaders were charged with taking part in an illegal street protest.

“The massive and violent Bersih protests were preparations to reject the GE13 results if the opposition fails to win it. Their loss will be followed by unceasing violent protests until the election results are rejected.

“If they are allowed to take power using their violent methods, then democracy will be extinguished and a horrible fate awaits this country,” wrote Dr Mahathir, who was PM for 22 years until his resignation in 2003.

Both Dr Mahathir and current prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak have accused the opposition of engineering a coup via the Bersih protest.

The April 28 rally that saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations before heading to Dataran Merdeka was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked the crowd to disperse.

But the former Bar Council president’s announcement was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted to linger around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.

Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.

Police then continued to pursue rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.

Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim but police also point to violence from rally-goers who also attacked a police car.

The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

Zahid said “it has been agreed that the (PM’s) post be held by a Malay”. — File pic
BAGAN DATOH, May 25 — PAS should state its stand on the issue of appointing a non-Malay as prime minister as championed by DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, said Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“PAS cannot be vacillating on this issue like they do over the PAS-Umno muzakarah (discussion) issue.

“Is what has been officially put forward by Karpal also the stand of PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)?” he said after opening the Bagan Datoh parliamentary constituency’s 1Malaysia People’s Welfare Programme (KAR1SMA), here, today.

He was earlier asked to comment on a newspaper report quoting Karpal Singh as saying, “[As] long as I live, I will continue to fight for a non-Malay to be prime minister”.

Ahmad Zahid said: “Although the Federal Constitution does not state the race of a person to be appointed as prime minister, conventionally, it had been agreed that the post be held by a Malay.

“We urge that the people judge PAS’ stand and attitude in this issue.” — Bernama

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Again to reiterate, personally, a Malay only Dewan with Malay only Cabinet and Malay PM without a single minority is not worth :

;and any other UNHCR affirmative actions that protect the minorities which we leave the the non-racist, non-fundo Malay MPs above to ensure. Who cares for a puppet PM who is a minority and never grants the above 3 items? This whole article and argument is a MSM strawman intended to disregard Malaysia’s lack of the above 3 items. The refusal to grant the 3 items and not be all fundo or refuse to even legislate making 4D outlets allow all other types of gambling games or an adult services district, amend laws that are outdated, make citizens all truly equals, makes minority MP’s necessary.

ARTICLE 4

Don’t trust a party which doesn’t trust us – Hornbill Unleashed – by Sakmongkol AK47 – May 26, 2012

Why can’t Umno carry the Malays to greater progress? Because it’s a low trust organisation. It doesn’t trust the majority of Malays and it doesn’t trust the rakyat in general. It has ceased to become a political party. It has morphed into an organisation of black hands composed of three million members. It puts its trust on the three million members NOT on the rakyat. This is the principal reason why we must reject Umno.

It fears the rakyat and their judgment. The leader of Umno who calls others accursed bastards is willing to unleash the instruments of suppression on the rakyat, firing water cannons and spraying tear gas that immobilise people instantly. Where did the Umno government buy the new variety of tear gas? From Israel?

Umno is not trusted nor does it trust those outside itself. This is a hallmark of a backward organisation composed, like Dr Mahathir says, of a half-past six leadership belonging to an organisation which is rotten to the core, corrupt from top to bottom and made up of dullards. Mahathir said all that.

We have a simple proposition then. Can we bank our future on such an organisation? Why should we trust Umno with our future if it doesn’t trust us? We must reject Umno because we want to bequeath a better country to our future generation. We owe it to the next generation who are now struggling to cope up with the increasing cost of living, who can’t find jobs because the country is mismanaged economically, or managed by sub-standard leaders. We owe it to those who can’t afford a decent house because a house near where they work now costs RM700,000 per unit.

This coming election is for us to lose, NOT for Umno to win. We lose if we let our guard down and be complacent. We must continue to raise the people’s consciousness and reject the deceit and lies perpetrated by Umno. We must reject the Umno-controlled media instruments such as Utusex Malaysia, Berita Hairan and TV¾.

The only other organisation that operates like Umno by trusting people within an organisation and who has recently adopted the act of oath taking or bai’ah is the Cosa Nostra aka the Mafia.

Because of this, Umno can never stimulate or induce voluntary co-operation and sacrifice from others. Umno can only get co-operation and sacrifice by paying others. This ability of creating trust between social groupings which leads to co-operation is known among social scientists as social capital. The concept of social capital was developed famously by Francis Fukuyama.

The basic idea behind the concept of social capital is this. A society with high trust (trusting others beyond just its organisation or its own grouping) is able to develop and prosper better. A society with low trust will always remain low on the scale of progress, being able to prosper on the fringes and like the Mafia outside normal society.

Now, apply that concept to Umno. Umno trusts only its members. That is why it is obsessed about having three million members. If the rakyat doesn’t trust it, it hopes it can do it alone by trusting only its own members. It’s therefore a low trust organisation. Just as a low trust society occupies the lower end of the scale of progress, so does Umno.

Therefore, how can a low trust organisation that nowadays manages to invite only distrust and revulsion carry us forward? — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

Glad to see all the some Malays formerly ensnared by UMNO are waking up. How about getting into politics again Sakmongol (perhaps with the ‘at glacial speed’ Tengku Razaleigh?), but on the below 3 items instead :

We’d rather have a Malay MP who believes in and will endorse and grant the above 3 items than a minority puppet who believes in the self effacing nonsense below :

Hudud: If PAS and Umno join hands… Friday, 25 May 2012 Super Admin

Offering a hypothetical scenario to illustrate his point on hudud, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek says if the two political superpowers come together, the rest will be rendered impotent.

“Not only PKR and DAP, even MCA would be impotent to do anything [about it]. Because PAS and Umno members combined are more than enough to form the government, let’s be honest about it,” he said.

RK Anand and Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today

For MCA, its most potent weapon against its political adversaries is PAS’ theocratic ambitions.

MCA leaders constantly churn out press statements attacking both PAS and their traditional rival DAP over the possible implementation of hudud law, stoking fear in the hearts of the Chinese electorate.

In an exclusive interview with FMT yesterday, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek explained why this issue was of grave concern.

The veteran politician, who has a string of police reports against him for raising thorny issues, offered a hypothetical scenario of PAS working with Umno in the event Pakatan Rakyat formed the federal government.

“PAS would reach out to Umno and tell them that we want to run this country according to the teachings in the Quran and no Muslim would try to go against it, including Umno MPs.

“Not only PKR and DAP, even MCA would be impotent to do anything [about it]. Because PAS and Umno members combined are more than enough to form the government, let’s be honest about it,” he said.

Asked if PAS would consider courting its traditional rival for the Malay vote-bank at the expense of the Islamic party’s partners in the opposition bloc, Chua did not rule out the possibility.

“In politics, I have learned one thing. The possible becomes impossible and the impossible can become possible,” he stressed.

Responding to another question, the MCA president said PAS was flexing its muscles in Pakatan and pointed to the contradictory statements from the leadership regarding the muzakarah or dialogue with Umno.

“Two weeks ago, Nik Aziz says we should talk with Umno, we have this muzarakah for Muslim
unity but Hadi Awang says ‘no’. Who do you want to believe? Hadi Awang or Nik Aziz?

“Who is telling the truth anyway. Or who is calling the shots? A lot of people in PAS I know say that it is Nik Aziz who calls the shots, not Hadi Awang,” he added.

‘Answer my questions, DAP’

Chua also conceded that MCA was often accused of using the same old propaganda with regard to hudud but denied that it was a scare-tactic.

“We are not frightening the Chinese. We feel that we have an obligation to tell the Chinese the implications of hudud, which many Chinese don’t understand and they think it only affects the Muslims,” he said.

For the past four months, Chua said, he had been raising the same questions but no DAP leader wanted to answer him.

“Number one, could DAP please assure us that when PAS really implements hudud, the non-Muslims would not be affected. Yes or no? Simple as that. Why are you not answering me?

“Number two, the implementation of hudud would have a great negative impact on the social, economic, political, educational [aspects] and the whole social fabric of this country that would affect non-Muslims and Muslims. Why is DAP not answering my questions? Why are you hiding?” he asked.

When pointed out that Pakatan leaders claimed that hudud was not in the common policy framework or the election manifesto dubbed Buku Jingga, he replied: “Yeah, that’s up to the rakyat to believe or not.”

The Malaysian authorities appear to be using what happened at the Bersih demonstration as a pretext to prosecute political opposition leaders. These charges, and the actions by police at the Bersih rally, don’t inspire confidence that the Malaysian government is committed to protecting basic free expression rights.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director

(Bangkok) – The Malaysian government should withdraw charges against opposition leaders for their participation in the “Bersih 3.0” demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on April 28, 2012. A criminal charge sheet obtained by Malaysian media indicates that authorities will charge former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, president of the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR); Azmin Ali, PKR deputy president; and Badrul Hisham Shaharin, a PKR activist, with disobeying judicial orders and taking part in a prohibited street protest.

The Bersih movement, a coalition of some 150 organizations promoting reform of election laws and procedures, held a mass rally on April 28 at Dataran Merkeda (Independence Square). Days earlier, the authorities had obtained a judicial order to stop the protest, but Bersih proceeded with a demonstration in the area surrounding the square. The protest proceeded mostly without incident but ended with police using excessive force, including teargas and water cannons, and beating and arresting over 500 protesters.

“The Malaysian authorities appear to be using what happened at the Bersih demonstration as a pretext to prosecute political opposition leaders,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “These charges, and the actions by police at the Bersih rally, don’t inspire confidence that the Malaysian government is committed to protecting basic free expression rights.”

The PKR leaders are being charged under Malaysia’s new Peaceful Assembly Act, which went into effect mere days before the protest. The Malaysian parliament enacted the law in late 2011 as part of a billed legislative “reform” package, revoking an earlier law that prohibited all protests without permits and had been used to outlaw virtually all political protests.

The Peaceful Assembly Act bans so-called street protests and contains an overly broad list of areas in which all assemblies are banned ­– a list that makes it virtually impossible for protesters to hold demonstrations in urban areas, Human Rights Watch said. Anwar, Azmin, and Badrul are specifically charged under the act for engaging in a “street protest.”

Human Rights Watch called on the government to rewrite the Peaceful Assembly Act so that it conforms with international human rights standards.

“The best way to reform the Peaceful Assembly Act is to repeal it and draft a new law,” Robertson said. “The government needs to go back to the drawing board.”

Anwar gave a speech at the April 28 demonstration, but was not considered one of its organizers. He has twice been tried by the Malaysian government on charges of sodomy – cases widely considered to be politically motivated and aimed at keeping him from leading the political opposition. Anyone convicted under Malaysia’s criminal code becomes ineligible to be elected to parliament.

The Malaysian Bar Council, which deployed 78 observers during the protests, criticized police for excessive use of force during the rally. It issued a detailed report in early May documenting abuses by the police, including beatings, overuse and misuse of teargas, and deliberate efforts by police to prevent journalists from observing or filming their actions. Several senior government officials dismissed the findings of the Bar Council as “biased.”

In the wake of allegations about police misconduct during the protest, the government announced a panel to investigate the protests. The panel’s head, Hanif Omar, a former police inspector general, was quoted in various media reports stating that the Bersih assembly had been organized by “pro-communist people” involved in anti-government demonstrations in the 1970s.

Because of concerns about the panel’s objectivity, the Bersih coalition has refused to cooperate in the investigation. Suhakam, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, recently announced it will hold a separate inquiry.

“The statements by the government panel’s leadership raise concerns about its ability to impartially investigate the Bersih 3.0 protests,” Robertson said.

Correction: The original version of the news release “Drop Charges Against Protest Participants” released on May 22, 2012, incorrectly provided the estimate of the number of persons arrested at the April 28, 2012 “Bersih 3.0” rally as “as many as 1,700.” The correct number is over 500. The 1,700 figure was an estimate of the number of persons arrested at the “Bersih 2.0” rally in July 2011.

; they could say that the anger at being ill treated by disallowed apostasy or imposed apartheid or the immense corruption leading to disparities in wealth distribution was uncontrollable and BN’s fault and sue the Supreme Court for failing them . . .

ARTICLE 7

Truth Will Out in Suhakam Inquiry – Wednesday, 23 May 2012 admin-s

In choosing to go ahead with its own inquiry, Suhakam is making a significant symbolic gesture. It is standing up to the Government and implying that the Government’s own panel does not inspire public confidence.

We have witnessed much madness and asininity displayed in the aftermath of the Bersih 3.0 rally of April 28, especially exemplified in the laughable antics of anti-Bersih groups, such as hawkers’ group Ikhlas, the army veterans who shook their buttocks in front of Bersih chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasen’s home, and the Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council.

Some of it can also be seen in the comments on the rally made by government leaders, including Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim’s incredulous declaration that only 22,270 people took part in it. But most risible of all is the Government’s appointment of ex-Inspector General of Police Hanif Omar as chairperson of the so-called independent panel to investigate the violence that occurred on April 28.

So it is with considerable relief that we now welcome the decision of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to conduct its own public inquiry into the violence when earlier it had said it would wait for the Government’s panel. Suhakam decided to go ahead because the panel has yet to come out with its terms of reference, and also because it has received numerous complaints from the public about the police brutality committed during the rally.

This is a show of good sense amidst the show of puerile emotionalism by the anti-Bersih groups and anti-Bersih ministers. It restores faith in the belief that rationality still rules okay in our current tragicomic state. Critics may aver that a Suhakam inquiry will not amount to much and that it will not result in action. Suhakam’s findings on Bersih 2.0, in which it concluded that the police used excessive force during that rally of July 9, 2011, has apparently not been taken much notice of by the authorities.

After releasing the findings three weeks ago, all Suhakam could say was: “It is now up to the police to act according to the recommendations as Suhakam does not have enforcement power.” It has, however, not elicited a positive response from the police or the Home Ministry. They know Suhakam is a toothless tiger.

Even so, an inquiry into Bersih 3.0 conducted by Suhakam would still not be a futile exercise. First, it will give those who allegedly received brutal treatment by the police the opportunity to be heard. This is important because it gives them hope. It also provides a healing balm.

Second, it will galvanize the voiceless and instill in the Malaysian psyche that in a democracy, the downtrodden can speak up.

Third, as evidence is presented during the inquiry, it will be made known to the public how the police conducted themselves during the rally. The truth, in as far as it can be ascertained, will be made known. People who have been skeptical of Bersih and people who don’t read online news media will get a side of the story different from that spun by the mainstream media. If they are ignorant of what the police did during the rally, the inquiry will help enlighten them.

Above all, in choosing to go ahead with its own inquiry, Suhakam is making a significant symbolic gesture. It is standing up to the Government and implying that the Government’s own panel does not inspire public confidence.

Indeed, one wonders if the Government itself, after having been lambasted for its appointment of Hanif and one or two other members, still has confidence in its own panel. If it did, why is it taking so long to formulate the terms of reference? It has been nearly two weeks since the panel was announced.

Has the Government realized that it did indeed make a mistake in appointing Hanif as the chairperson?

First, how could an ex-policeman be head of a panel that is investigating, presumably among other things, the possibility of police brutality? How neutral could he be?

Second, how could Hanif be the head when prior to his appointment, he had made the biased remarks that there were Communist sympathizers among the Bersih 3.0 rally participants, and that the movement was aimed at toppling the Government?

That he was wrong on the second point and obviously snatching at straws in invoking the long-dead Communist bogey shows thinking reflective of an insensible Malaysian. Can we, therefore, trust an investigative panel headed by such a person?

In any case, inquiry or no, informed members of the public have already delivered their verdict on what happened on April 28.

Many are the photographs and videos circulating in cyberspace of what the police did – beyond the parameters of responsible policing.

Their biggest mistake was attacking media personnel even after the latter had identified who they were.

What they did to reporter Mohd Radzi Abdul Razak of theSun was a severe indictment of their conduct. He was merely sitting down and having a cigarette when a group of seven to eight policemen charged him. He told them he was a reporter and showed them his media accreditation card. But they punched and kicked him, and he landed in hospital with injuries to his ribs, jaw and neck.

Photographer Muhammad Arif Kartono of The Malay Mail also showed his media accreditation card but it didn’t stop the cops from kicking him in the face and on the legs, and stomping him on his back.

Another mistake the police made was confiscating the memory cards of people taking photographs. It reinforced the idea that we are living in a police state.

This was exacerbated by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s explanation that confiscating memory cards was part of the police’s standard operating procedures. It had many people laughing till they had tears in their eyes. More comedy followed when the IGP, Ismail Omar, corrected Hishammuddin the next day.

Fortunately, many people escaped with their memory cards intact. Some of their photos show policemen kicking people who were already down on the ground and helpless. In many instances, they attacked in a gang – with several cops pouncing on a lone target.

The videos are even more convincing because they record live action. Apart from those showing policemen behaving like mobsters, there is one of a policeman who pointed a gun at a crowd. Was brandishing a dangerous weapon necessary? Should he not be hauled up?

Running around in our minds are these questions: Why did the police chase after the rally participants when their job should be to merely disperse them? Why did they allegedly enter restaurants and mosques to drag people out? Why did they allegedly beat up people who were not even taking part in the rally?

And why did many of them not wear their badge or identification numbers? Let’s hope the Suhakam inquiry will help answer these questions.

Meanwhile, the police should prove that they are capable of doing the right thing by arresting anyone who sets up stall outside Ambiga’s house if they don’t have a trading permit from Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur. As the mayor of KL, Ahmad Fuad Ismail, has said, it would contravene the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974. That is surely very clear. So let’s see what the police do about it.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Helping to pile more ingenuous ‘inquiries’, articles and comments while entirely ignoring Malaysia’s lack of :

; is not going to change the fact that Suhakam’s neglect of the above 3 items had actually led to Bersih. File that lawsuit against the Home Ministry or PDRM backed by some QC or other International Criminal Court at Hague based ‘personality’, to end APARTHEID via delegations to the UN, NAM, BRICS or be considered as complicit in allowing apartheid to continue.

ARTICLE 8

Sun setting on Penang’s factories? On the contrary – a new dawn is here! – Written by Zairil Khir Johari – Wednesday, 30 May 2012 13:35

With the general election closing in, the Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership is certainly not short on promises.

Having recently assumed the hot seat, newly-minted state BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow has been eagerly peddling the coalition’s “alternative blueprint” for Penang, an election manifesto that includes a plan to restore free port status to the island while turning it into an international tourism hub, along with plans for an international financial centre, innovation park and aquaculture hub in mainland Seberang Perai.

And then, as if to prove that his fancy labelling actually carries some philosophical substance, he goes to great lengths to explain his vision of a post-industrial future for Penang, where he promises to transform the services sector into an engine of growth as a replacement to the manufacturing industry.

This is needed because, in his words, “the manufacturing sector has reached its peak in Penang. We have to look into other engines of growth.” He further adds that the state can no longer be dependent on manufacturing as there is a shortage of land, while acknowledging that the sector had helped build a strong foundation for Penang’s economy in the 1960s and 70s.

Other state BN leaders have echoed similar views, with Penang MCA adviser Datuk Koay Kar Huah opining that Penang is “oversaturated with manufacturing activities and it is time to consider other industries to stimulate its economy.”

Flawed reasoning

I find this notion that manufacturing has reached a sunset stage, and thus should be replaced by service-based industries, an extremely flawed one.

The fact is that it is impossible to divorce production from knowledge because the best way to learn how to make something is to actually make it, as the Japanese, Koreans and Taiwanese have proven. Once we are able to make it, we can then move on to innovating, adding value to the product, financing it, marketing it and finally consuming it. In other words, services spanning research, design, engineering, legal, financial and sales are in fact complementary offshoots of manufacturing, and should not be seen as its putative replacement.

As leading Cambridge economist Ha-Joo Chang points out, high-income knowledge economies that appear to be services-based are in fact highly industrialised economies. Citing Switzerland and Singapore as prime examples, he notes that the two countries rank second and third in the world in terms of manufacturing value-add per capita, behind only the industrial machine known as Japan.

At the end of the day, no other industry is capable of generating the same multiplier effect, both in terms of jobs and support services, as manufacturing. It is precisely for this reason that the Obama administration is now on a huge manufacturing drive in a bid to reinvigorate the sputtering American domestic economy. As former General Motors vice chairman Bob Lutz says, “Making things makes money.”

De-industrialization

What Teng and company are in fact trying to articulate is the concept of de-industrialisation in the context of a knowledge-based, post-industrial economy. The proposition they are putting forward is that the good old days of industry are gone and that future jobs will require working with our brains and not with our hands.

Taken at face value, such a premise may appear to make sense. However, further examination exposes a shallow and superficial logic. Firstly, would not better brains make our hands more efficient and result in better quality products?

Secondly, as the world progresses, would it not also be natural that consumption of technological goods will increase exponentially? As a result, more rather than less manufacturing will be needed to keep up with growing demand.

The key, therefore, is not in ditching manufacturing in favour of services but actually in seeking ways to create depth and specialisation, as well as to encourage higher productivity and use of technology in manufacturing.

Depth and specialization

Penang, with an established manufacturing base, must now seek not so much to broaden its range of products but to deepen its value chain. In other words, it is more about how we produce rather than what we produce.

It is naïve to argue that manufacturing has peaked. One only has to look at how the once-mighty British economy has declined to see how de-industrialisation has resulted in post-industrial decay, loss of productivity, high unemployment, rising inequality and the displacement of an entire generation.

The truth is, manufacturing holds even more potential than it did a few decades ago. Far from putting it on the backburner, efforts should be invested into enhancing the use of technology and automation, increasing production capacity and training the required human talent. Value-added growth in manufacturing will eventually result in value-added services and correspondingly, higher-paying jobs.

So, is the manufacturing industry in Penang headed for a sunset? To the contrary, I think a new dawn has just arrived.

The Penang Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng will be visiting Taipei, Taiwan for a short full day trip arriving on 29th and leaving on 31st May 2012. The purpose of the trip is to enhance better working relationship with existing Taiwanese corporations based in Penang as well as forge links with new prospective investors.

The Chief Minister will also meet several potential investors in the field of manufacturing. This investment trip hopes to also promote Penang as a suitable investment location of choice to new Taiwanese investors. As many electronic companies are looking at alternatives to traditional locations of investment, the Chief Minister hopes to put Penang on the radar screen, especially when they expand. These expansion plans are not immediate and may take up to 3 years, but Penang has to commence this engagement now with key Taiwanese companies to build up both interest and confidence.

Companies

The same approach was applied with the previous investment trip to Taiwan in 2010 that generated interest amongst Taiwanese companies. Following painstaking efforts undertaken these last two year, Phison Electronics headed by K.S. Pua, announced the setting up its engineering development and design centre in Penang. This centre will be their first out of Taiwan and will be engaged in the development and design of chip, system design as well as marketing.

The investment decision by Phison Electronics was considered a great achievement by Penang as KS Pua’s company is not just an ordinary electronics company but also a much sought after innovative and research-oriented company. An initial investment of US$1 – 3 million will be mainly on transferring talent and design technologies. A similar engagement process successfully conducted with Phison Electronics will also be repeated with other Taiwanese companies.

One of the key companies the Chief Minister is visiting is Taiwan’s top smartphone company, HTC Corporation. The Chief Minister will be accompanied by and Mr Lee Soo Cheran, Senior Manager of InvestPenang and Mr Wong Kim Fei, Press Officer to the Chief Minister.

Look at the timing of the articles above. Pure nepotism if anything, and a reminder that family bloc politics that atre term limitless are the worst kind of affliction on political circles and civils society. There is no justification for Taiwanese to go to Malaysia for investment. Mainland China is 100s of kilometres nearer, and the Mainland Chinese do not discriminate against Chinese and non-Muslims using Bumiputra Apartheid. In China they have :

; in Malaysia they have apartheid and a Chinese CM in Penang that has accepted a role of a dhimmi, a second class citizens, that was neither elected nor democratically selected by anyone except his own father. Who needs to go to a country to do business under such conditions and deal with such people? DIVEST NOW Taiwanese! Help the minorities here make a strong message against APARTHEID and Penang’s current 1 term wasted CM Lim Guan Eng is pandering to the racist Malays indirectly here. Penang’s current 1 term wasted CM Lim Guan Eng has refused to speak against APARTHEID and now wants to drag Taiwanese Chinese into what effectively is a hellhole for all minorities where dhimmitude(lite) is applied on everyone not a Malay or Muslim. What is wrong with this shameless CM who does not care about APARTHEID but wants lots of funeral funds? Taiwanese, do not be taken in, in fact, get Governor Ma Yingjeou to condemn the UNHCR violation that Bumiputra Apartheid represents as well as shame DAP’s nepotistic acceptors of second class citizenship. Taiwanese, do Malays in Taiwan get treated as second class citizens the way CM Lim Guan Eng accepts? Know who approaches the Taiwanese for investment, to make themselves look good while the Chinese are treated as second class peoples . . .

ARTICLE 9

Concentrating on LGBT Advocacy issues May 26, 2012

Irshad Manji’s name that had never known in Malaysia, suddenly became famous in all the wrong reasons. Born in Uganda of Egyptian mothers and father of the Gujerati Indian descent, his family emigrated to Canada in 1972 as the basis of the anti-Idi Amin in Uganda Asia.

People can become famous not only because of the general public acceptance, a person can become famous for its rejection of the general public. This is called kontraversi.

Irshad Manji and provoked controversy chose to introduce himself to the world. All in on the ground the right to freedom and to be more kontraversi when the argument associated with the name of Islam.

Practitioners and the biggest defender

On the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) we must distinguish between practitioners and fighters. Practitioners are those who regard the practice of unnatural sex is something that should be accepted by society. This means that sex and sexual practices of many of these practitioners are acts that can not be inverted.

For the proponents, they are not necessarily practitioners of this twisted, they are based on the question of rights alsan assume that these people also have the right to practice their culture without their imposed social isolation or “social sanction” for their actions. For any category of this group, the issue is essentially a claim that melantaikan unflagging question in human history of “human rights”

The question Fitr

It should be emphasized in terms of practice, are considered acts of LGBT inverted. It is considered inversion predicate because it is naturally induced from the premises or the nature of which are not in the right direction.

Man is made to be on track to their nature and proper sexual stimulation, when sexual orientation is in the wrong direction as in a kind and variety of stimuli, it has not made it a more human stimulus.

Even if the human remains is called the human element. We do not have to argue with religious or moral grounds to understand this reality. Do these people want us to accept this breech presentation? Religious and moral arguments only strengthen the nature of policies created by the Creator of human life.

Surah Rum from verse 30 of the Qur’an kesonsangan explain this by saying: “So hadaplah yourself to a religion that is far from error (breech presentation), which Allah has created man with the natural condition, it shall be no change in Allah’s creation, is true religion, but most people do not know ”

Freedom fighter

An opinion that the nature of God Rahmahnya accept everyone, regardless of what their practice is a repeat of the notion murji “ah the second Hijri century in resolving conflict on the theology of sin and the implications of defining the rules.

It grew from rationalization of political support of the two parties to a conflict that of Ali, and the Kharijites. Murji’ah birth as a compromise to both sides of the attitude of extreme relaxation and eventually led to adhere to the commandments of God. Today the notion Irshad Manji is plagiarism to a long theological debate over the second century, three and the fourth Hijri.

As a basic Muslim beliefs to the problem of harshness to the proposition must berpandikan the Shari’ah and not be left hanging on the ground Mercy of God. If not, do not need him to the Qudwah Hasanah (eg emulation) including berfitrah life.

Furthermore, the objects of a prohibition order and God is not seen in works alone but is seen to Maslahat law, whether for good or harm his servants to his servants.

Within this framework we recognize Mercy of God, not in the framework of a desire to justify our desires. In verse 49.50 Al Hijr insisted: “tell on my servants that I am the Forgiving and Merciful (49) And My punishment is a grievous Penalty is (50)”

Mercy of God must be understood as obedience to Maslahat that Allah created man and certainly Maslahat is linked to the nature of which God knows the benefits for humans. Definitely strayed from the path of LGBT this nature. How can we claim it to be the servant of God’s love when they run away from this line?

Allah, Most Gracious

Among the Love of God is inviting people to track human nature and not let nature continue in breech presentation. If it is God’s love that Irsyad Manji mean it’s true meaning, but if God’s love is to certify that there are people who have fled from their nature and should be left, this is a large deviation to the right of Allah.

Because Mercy of God, as Muslims we should memauti this fraternity to correct their nature not to let them. For the proponents of non-practitioners we only need to correct the perception of Human Rights to take advantage of what humans and harmless to humans.

Absolute freedom is not in terms, that there is glory Personal Freedom Human nature is essentially a guide. Imam Al Muhaddith and Scholars Izz ibn Sultan Al Salam (mngal 660h) says: “That is why the Qur’an encourages to practice obedience with good detail and depth of a little or a lot, large and small. Similarly, look ugly to deny things in detail and depth of slightly better or much, small or large “should be understood in the context of freedom and wrongdoing obedience to the Creator, is the Islamic version of Freedom.

It is unfortunate Irsyad Manji and proponents of LGBT in Malaysia who want to take the meaning of freedom of a society corrupted by the values ??of freedom and says it is from Islam.

Solution

As long as it is a matter of humanity, we can not expect it to end. What needs to be done is to link and merangkulkan both the LGBT and propagated in a continuous dialogue and ensuring that this group does not affect the existing harmony of nature is practiced today in our society.

Homosexuality remains one even bound by the sacred bond of marriage. Free sex is adultery that destroy cultural values ??of society. Transeksualiti collapse is not justified akhlaq but should be viewed as a “disease” that requires attention in a variety of perspectives.

Evil act remains wrong no matter what “brandnya” good remained good no matter what “brandnya” all based on the understanding the nature of which is a sign of God Glory to the universe.

* This is the writer’s personal views

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Lame attempts at subversion are a sign of dishonesty and an attemot to steal free will from non-Muslims. What non-Muslims do is non of any Muslim’s business. Any group minds their own business and all others mind theirs. What any advocates is not to be subverted. What Muslims advocate also not to be subverted. This is freedom and civilisation, advocacy of one over the other is dishonest and spiteful social-combat/exclusion on non-combatants, something Muslims have extreme difficulty understanding. Truth remains truth democracy or minorities of one, even if privacy is destroyed, reputation is destroyed. I hope hellfires of invaded privacy apply to those who are so faithful.

Assign districts to each and every demographic and be done with the issue, stop discriminating and applying apartheid . . .

ARTICLE 10

DAMNING EVIDENCE the people have lost faith in electoral system – Tony – Written by Tony Pua – Saturday, 26 May 2012 07:47

Merdeka Center’s latest survey results gives damning evidence that the people has lost faith in the country’s electoral system, despite the “best effort” by the Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Razak to set a transformation agenda.

The results clearly showed that Malaysians have very little confidence in the half-hearted steps taken by the Prime Minister which was intended to give a better perception of our electoral process.

Only 44% of Malaysians surveyed were “confident” that the electoral process was free from irregularity despite the Election Commission’s repeated insistence that our electoral roll is “the cleanest in the world”. Even so, only 5% of those surveyed did not think that an electoral roll clean-up before the next general election was necessary, while a whopping 92% thought a clean-up exercise is necessary.

Insincere PSC – the game is UP!

Among the key reforms sought by Bersih was the abolishment of postal voting, and this was supported by the survey outcome where only 37% thought it was “transparent and free from political interference”. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms had in the last sitting agreed to amend the postal vote system for the army into an early-voting system, but at the same time added some 300,000 names to the postal voter list.

The distrust of the PSC can be seen from the results which showed that only 34% thought it was “a sincere effort” from the BN government “to reform” while 43% thought it was an “attempt to cover up or divert public attention”.

Similarly 81% of Peninsula Malaysians support the call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on the Sabah illegal immigrants issue, but the Prime Minister has chosen to ignore the demand from the people.

This is why hundreds of thousands attended Bersih

From the data which was collected before hundreds of thousands of Malaysians poured onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur to demonstrate and demand for free and fair elections, it proves beyond doubt that the “political transformation programme” commenced since Merdeka celebrations last year has failed to move Malaysians.

The result also fully justified why it was necessary for Bersih to take to streets despite being denied the opportunity to gather peacefully in Merdeka Square to demand free and fair elections for all Malaysians.

We call upon the Prime Minister to go the whole nine yards in real political and electoral reforms. The people does not want to see Dato’ Seri Najib put in place some pseudo-reforms which are in effect “1 step forward and 2 steps backward” type of new regulations.

The Prime Minister will have the opportunity to pass new laws seeking a full transformation of the electoral process when the Parliament commences its sitting on 11 June before dissolving it for the next General Election. Without true and thorough reforms from Dato’ Seri Najib, he will fail to win legitimacy even if he were to win the vote count in the 13th General Election as he will be seen as having won the elections through cheating and fraud, instead of via the support of the people.

Related Story: 92% of voters want electoral roll to be cleaned up before GE-13 is held

Tony Pua is the DAP MP for PJ Utara

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The rakyat have lost faith in DAP who backs down against inequality.

“The (first) DVD says that DAP wants to abolish bumiputra subsidies, abolish the position of Islam as the country’s official religion, degrade the Council of Rulers, remove Bahasa Malaysia as the country’s official language and take away the special rights of Malays and bumiputra.‘

Barring 4 and 5 out of 7 mentioned which are 30% of the mentioned and truly sacrosanct, the other 70% mentioned are absolutelynecessary to cross any responsible statesman’s or even responsible moderate and fair minded Muslim’s mind – think Asabiya prohibitions or Surah An Nisa) for Malaysia to end apartheid and become a 1st world nation.

NO EQUALITY IS POSSIBLE UNDER DAP THEN !!! Does DAP not understand the above?

Useless DAP party that is nepotistic, term limitless, does not want equality and even thinks about accepting Hudud will not get any minority votes . . . the UN and no country in the world accepts APARTHEID!

And DAP goes “None of these have ever crossed our minds. So whats the difference between MCA and DAP then? No difference at all! Both are sycophants that do not fight for equality.

BN racism, corruption, and PR for nepotism, clique politics that exclude grassroots, human rights and ethics aware law or political party reformers, real activists and intelligensia, both coalitions have no place in Malaysia OR THE WORLD. They are POLITICAL CRIMINALS. APARTHEID CRIMINALS that ignore UNHCR Article 1 AND the Quran’s remonstration against the Sin of Asabiya!

3rd Force is the only way forward for Malaysia!

ARTICLE 11

DAP rattled by propaganda DVDs – Thursday May 24, 2012

GEORGE TOWN: The distribution of two DVDs in Penang which the state DAP described as propaganda has the party hopping mad.

Penang DAP secretary Ng Wei Aik said the DVDs, titled Tanah Melayu Dilanggar Todak (Tanah Melayu attacked by swordfish) and Teoh Beng Hock — Finding The Truth, were inserted into mail boxes and distributed in public areas in the state.

The first DVD, which is in Malay, spells out the “failures” of Pakatan governments in Selangor, Perak and Penang.

Issues like the demolition of Malay-owned houses, the alleged banning of Maulidur Rasul processions in Penang and the Kampung Buah Pala dispute were also raised in the 16-minute DVD.

The second DVD, in Mandarin with English subtitles, is related to DAP aide Teoh who was found dead outside the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009.

Ng said the DVDs “smacked of racism” and could incite the people.

“The (first) DVD says that DAP wants to abolish bumiputra subsidies, abolish the position of Islam as the country’s official religion, degrade the Council of Rulers, remove Bahasa Malaysia as the country’s official language and take away the special rights of Malays and bumiputra.

“None of these have ever crossed our minds. This DVD is a very serious and false item of propaganda and publicity,” Ng told a press conference at Wisma DAP in Rangoon Road here yesterday.

He estimated that at least 10,000 copies were in circulation.

Ng urged the police to investigate and stop the distribution of the DVDs.

How many small trader gas tanks did Ng manage to confiscate (and resell on the black market?) during these 4 years? DAMNING EVIDENCE that the people have lost faith in the DAP which does not address Malaysia’s lack of :

File that lawsuit against the Home Ministry or PDRM backed by some QC or other International Criminal Court at Hague based ‘personality’, to end APARTHEID via delegations to the UN, NAM, BRICS or be considered as complicit in allowing apartheid to continue.

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — Studying abroad last year, I missed Bersih 2.0 and felt a sense of regret each time I listened to the stories my friends had to tell of their experiences that day. Providence permitted my attendance at Bersih 3.0 last Saturday.

In the past few years, this is a story that has been unfolding at an accelerating pace: the story of Malaysia striving to grow as a democracy.

As legitimate as Bersih’s demands are, what drives people to brave the crowds and the inherent risks of such a gathering? Mere intellectual assent to Bersih’s demands shouldn’t be enough to bring thousands to the city streets.

I suggest a major reason for the decision of most people to flood the streets of KL on Saturday was a desire to be a part of the story. For those who agree to Bersih’s demands, along with it is the recognition by many that they must themselves be the agents working for the desired outcome.

Alternate stories

I must first confess that I left soon after Datuk Ambiga called the rally a success and advised people to disperse slowly before 3pm. I headed home, reflecting on my part in the story, ready to write out my thoughts when I arrived home. Of course, everyone now knows that the rally drastically changed — but I only found out after getting text messages on the LRT and checking the news myself upon reaching home.

This put me in the unique position of having lived out one version of the story in my mind (based on what I had experienced up to that point), before having it rewritten as I learned of the actual outcome of Bersih 3.0.

Thus, I had two sets of reflections: one based on the alternate history I had thought would transpire, and one based on actual history. Instead of scrapping one and presenting the other, I felt that together they would offer a glimpse into the yearning for democracy by Bersih supporters.

An ideal world

As I reflected on the parts of Bersih 3.0 I had been a part of — the sense of belonging I got from seeing so many like-minded people, the sense of cheer that grew along with the crowd’s size and the euphoria at chanting together — I realised that the most powerful moments were those where significance was distributed to all people present. In contrast, the speeches of leaders could not give us a fraction of courage that singing “Negaraku” together did. In other words, the power comes from the collective — when democracy is at its strongest.

Democracy, in its (ideal) goal of distributing power to all individuals, satisfies what the philosopher Hegel called the “struggle for recognition”. Along with the humbling realisation that one plays only a small part in the whole comes the terrifying revelation that one is at last playing a part.

Paradoxically, the way to significance is to take on that small role, not necessarily losing yourself in the masses, but involving yourself in the part that every citizen in a democracy is called to play. Many present at Bersih 3.0 would have seen it as their civic duty for the country they love — even though their individual voices would not have been heard.

This contrasts with the archetypal literary vision of the hero, where significance is derived from individual acts of heroism. But as is evident in Bersih, the power of the movement lies in its numbers and not in any one person — the large turnout was the crucial reason Ambiga called it a success before advising us to disperse. The government and Election Commission need not listen to a few solitary voices no matter how valid their arguments are, but they cannot ignore thousands of citizens merely showing up in Kuala Lumpur even if all they do is sit down and chant slogans.

This is why it is crucial that Bersih remains a civil society movement — hijacked by personalities and politicians, it may get more sound bites at press conferences and visibility but it will lose all legitimate power.

So why the push for democracy? So that citizens can finally attain significance by taking on the role they are all called to in society. In a rally like this, each plays only a small part but it is nonetheless the appointed cross to bear. Nothing more, but also nothing less. We are not merely spectators, but agents bringing about genuine democracy in Malaysia.

The real world

I had left believing that democracy, the sharing of power, was good for Malaysia because it brought the most good for its people in their struggle for significance. If this account sounds overly idealistic, reality hit me hard and fast when I heard of how the rally ended.

I won’t speculate much here on the causes of the chaos that transpired, except to say that amidst the theories of involving provocation and saboteurs, there were undoubtedly Bersih supporters who acted with violence. Many friends of mine are outraged that our contribution will be tainted by the senselessness of these individuals.

This could not bring me further from the (brief) vision I had of my ideal world. Bersih was meant to showcase the best of us, and make a case for why democracy should work. Even those who were cynical and expected a harsh police presence would have remembered the accounts from Bersih 2.0 of the collective spirit and people helping one another in the face of danger. But to have violence instigated and perpetuated by those pushing for democracy went contrary to what many hoped for and expected.

But even as my optimism gave way I maintained my belief that democracy is what Malaysia needs and what we must continue to fight (peacefully) for. However, while I briefly saw democracy as a vehicle to Malaysia’s good because if fulfils people’s drive for significance, I now see it as necessary for a different reason.

The end of Bersih 3.0 showed that the line between good and evil runs not across party lines or those for/against a cause. The line runs down the middle of every human heart. Without diminishing the culpability of the government and police, even earnest supporters of Bersih were shown to be capable of violence and hatred. The writer C.S. Lewis said that democracy was necessary because “no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows”.

In other words, we need democracy not because we are good, but because we are fallen and imperfect. The dilution of power amongst a nation’s people is necessary to avoid any one person or group to have the platform for unleashing the evil that potentially lies within. This doesn’t void their potential for good, but it is naïve to believe that we are each not capable of the slow descent to corruption.

A single vision

But this also means that those seemingly on the side of evil and corruption must still know what goodness is. Just like Bersih supporters revealed their worst when provoked, perhaps the best of those leaning towards violence lies deep within, conditioned and numbed into impotence but waiting to be redeemed.

The sobering events of April 28 (leading to my opposing reflections) need not leave us in a state of hopelessness. The best and the worst of human nature were showcased — but both make a strong case for the need for democracy in Malaysia.

What we must remember is that the fight for democracy lies not just on a national level to combat corruption and injustice — it lies within as we struggle each day to do the right and moral thing. So for all of you who went peacefully and courageously, who didn’t throw the first stone (literally) and who turned the other cheek (figuratively): blessed are you peacemakers.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Evil is when a property ‘investor’ holds 10s to 1000s of units of unusable and crumbling shophouses and offices when truly productive business are destroyed by loansharks part of the local business cartels, and simple lower income families who are homeless or severely indebted, due to, or unable to access those half million so-called ‘shophouses’ which are a minimum when educations cost 10s to 100s of thousands.

This is the flaw of uncontrolled Capitalism and the need for aspects of Soacialism/Marxism in governance. Capitalism only creates collusion and greedy loophole writing MPs and plutocrats sequestering extreme wealth to the demise of wealth distribution and the rise of anarchy from extreme poverty of the 99% who will doubtless be pushed towards a French Revolution, with the plutocracy now being the ‘Bastille’ of today and the anarchists/Marxists (moderate Marxists, again extreme anything will never work, and we arein extreme Capitalism conditions as of now) being the guillotine.

‘I must first confess that I left soon after Datuk Ambiga called the rally a success and advised people to disperse slowly before 3pm.’ . . .

More Bersih c0ckt3451ng. IMHO Ambiga is a tool of the establishnent to waste the energies and the funds of protesters who could be better off running as candidates to challenge theestavlishment. As noted earlier, Bersih amounts to nothing without lawsuits by trhe so called leaders. Angry crowds do not gather for nothing. And the youth would be better off forming NEW political parties that should remove corrupt and racist BN and also nepotistic and clique political power sequestering, term limitless mentality (ala Mubarak) PR.

Bersih was a failure and waste of youthful energy and bail out fund resources, the so called leaders ‘masturbating’ the people to no purpose except to defuse energies that could form new political parties and coalitions as the proposed 3rd force to displace useless coalitions BN and PR. 3rd forcers and youthful protesters should run for :

;and GTFO of parliament after 2 terms of doing some good, not parasiting off the Rakyat for decades, holding term limitless MP seats and throwing hegelian dialectic nonsense instead of ENDING taxes or Vehicular AP (took ‘Family Bloc’ Nurul near 3 years to act on this) or Tolls (PAS pulled off 1 bulldoze but that seemed to be the all of Pakatan’s action against government-GLC collusion-encroachment upon the regular citizen’s ‘Freedom of Navigation’ ON LAND –in their own country to boot . . . ), National Service Bill’s forced military conscriptions (illegal by any interpretation of the UNHCR), or the all important 3 items listed above.

KUCHING: While Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has welcomed the registration of the Sarawak Workers’ Party (SWP), which is linked to “buddy” Sng Chee Hua, insiders in both the state Barisan Nasional and the opposition are wary.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian urged the people to examine SWP’s policies and gauge for themselves which way the party will lean towards.

“Is SWP inclined to support BN or is it inclined to support Pakatan Rakyat policies for Sarawak?

“The people must examine whether this party is built on the basis of fighting or defending the rights of Sarawakians such as the native customary rights land, employment and the 18- and 20-point agreements.

“This are the things we want SWP to answer,” said Bian, who is the Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.

“To me it is obvious that SWP is inclined towards being BN-friendly. So it is clear that it is not with us.

“These things can assist voters in the villages to make a good judgment, and I know they are fully aware of the party’s policies.

“I am confident they will make a wise decision. This coming election is crucial to Sarawakians who want change. And this is our bigger mission,” he said.

SWP aiming for PRS seats

Santubong MP Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who is the Deputy Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, questioned the motive of the party to contest in the coming election.

“It risks becoming a mosquito party. It will only appear during the election season, but disappear when the election is over. This would only confuse the people.

“If the party really fights for the people, it must make sure that it continues to work for the interests of the people before and after the election,” Wan Junaidi said.

Sng had said that SWP would target only six constituencies which are allocated to PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak), a member of the BN coalition.

Lately Sng, who was the former Julau MP, has been seen mobilising support for the party in Julau, Selangau, Kanowit and Hulu Rajang.

PRS vice-president and Tamin assemblyman Joseph Mauh said that his party is not perturbed by the emergence of SWP, describing it as an “old wine in a new bottle”.

‘Old wine, new bottle’

“We are not worried about the new party because it is old wine in a new bottle, and those who had drunk the wine would know its taste,” he said, referring to Sng’s previous records as Julau MP and assemblyman for Pelagus in the days of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS).

“SWP may be a new party but certainly it is no stranger to us. I don’t think it can win any seat,” he said.

But what puzzled him is that the party, while claiming to be BN-friendly, is fighting PRS, a member of the BN.

“It is very funny and there is no logic,” he said.

“Why is it targeting PRS? What does this mean?” Mauh asked.

State BN secretary-general, Stephen Rundi, who is also PBB secretary-general, regarded SWP as the BN’s opponent.

“We will treat every opponent in the same way. Similarly if the new party wishes to oppose us, we will fight back,” Rundi reportedly said.

But his boss, Taib seems to have a different view. He has welcomed SWP into the political scene with gusto, saying “the more the merrier” as the state practised democracy.

Comments

written by Vincenzo, April 24, 2012 23:39:44
@Alan Newman

Yes, Sarawakians are relenting and forgiving people. It is our culture. We are a likeable, peaceful and hospitable people although we are slowly changing due to circumstances forced upon us. It’s a shame we have to change to be nastier in order to fight for what are rightfully ours. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense – why do we have to fight for what are already ours?

So, I need to ask you why your kind put us in this position where we have to fight to keep what are ours. Why did the Cobbold Commission not undertake a referendum for the people of Sarawak in the early 1960s to determine whether we want to help form Malaysia or not? It is because of Malaysia that we are in the shit that we are in today. Why did the Brits ( Aussies and Kiwis included in the 1960s then ) abandoned us to the wolves?

Alan, your kind cannot claim any moral high grounds and tell us that it is ” zero tolerance & striking back with the greatest force ” time when it was your kind who left us in this shit in the first place. What are you going to do to right the wrong that your kind left us with?

To call us gutless, pathetic, tragic, you have to remember that our once proud people took heads and waged wars even on the White Rajahs and took the heads of quite a few Whites. If the need arise again, I doubt if we will ever hesitate.

And if you send us a lot of money, then many of us will go to BERSIH which will be held in KL some 600 miles across the South China Sea from Borneo Island. Aiya, some 50 years of being Malaysian have left us Sarawakians very poor since much economic development and stimuli do not reach our people. Until today, we only have one coastal road going from Kuching to Miri. There are no other roads in the interior of Sarawak and more than 1 million people live in the jungles in the interior off-grid and with no piped water.

You further wrote that that ” Politicians are the roots of all the problems in the world ” . Well, I respectfully disagree. In a democratic system, the systems and institutions that are put in place must be adequately independent of each other. The checks and balances provided for in any constitution must be cast in stone for any democratic society to function effectively. It is when the independence of these democratic systems and institutions are curtailed that democracy begins to fail us. Therefore for a democracy to function effectively, there must be adequate independence and checks and balances on the institutions and systems of a democratic society.

On the other hand, for a person to be truly fair, that person must have impeccable integrity but if we agree that every man has his price, no matter where they are, obviously, any democratic political system will fail sometimes since they are made up of people. What is important is that when the system fails, there must be effective agencies to remove the compromised part from the system.

Alan, I know you meant well and on behalf of us Sarawakians, I want to thank you for the concerns that you have for us. However, let me assure you that the winds of change are blowing as it is also in Sabah and in Malaya and I am confident that we will see a change in government in the future. There is only so much nonsense that the people of this country can take for so long. Enough is enough. However, I must remind you that we are in this shit mainly because of British (Australian and Kiwis included) highhandedness.

…
written by alan newman, NZ, April 24, 2012 17:03:29
Why are you so forgiving & relenting? Have they- PBB, BN got a trace of the people’s interest at heart? NO! It’s endless tricks, acrobatics & deception to stay in power. Not after 55 years of BN & UMNO! It must now be zero tolerance & striking back with the greatest force. If you research globally & think thoroughly: Politicians are the roots of all the problems in the world: pillage & plunder; cronies; in-equality of races & incomes; apartheid; hardship & grief turning to crime & tragedy; trillions of $$$ wasted worldwide on corruption, thefts, land-grabs, resource-grabs, amassing of projects, money outflow & laundering, white elephants & kickbacks; abuses, mismanagements, misuses, crime-fighting, strife, riots, wars. In the end, to cling to power & luxury, they will kill. Look at Idi Amin, Africa, N. Korea, Arab Spring.

…
written by alan newman, NZ, April 24, 2012 17:00:10
If you research globally & think thoroughly: Politicians are the roots of all the problems in the world: pillage & plunder; cronies; in-equality of races & incomes; apartheid; hardship & grief turning to crime & tragedy; trillions of $$$ wasted worldwide on corruption, thefts, land-grabs, resource-grabs, amassing of projects, money outflow & laundering, white elephants & kickbacks; abuses, mismanagements, misuses, crime-fighting, strife, riots, wars. In the end, to cling to power & luxury, they will kill. Look at Idi Amin, Africa, N. Korea, Arab Spring.
So why are you so forgiving & relenting? Have they – BN, UMNO got a trace of the people’s interest at heart? NO! It’s endless tricks, acrobatics & deception to stay in power. Not after 55 years of BN & UMNO! It must now be zero tolerance & striking back with the greatest force.

…
written by alan newman, NZ, April 24, 2012 16:55:05
In New Zealand, Taito Philip Field, an MP was jailed for corruption (eg using new immigrants to paint his houses), and after 31 years! your Sarawak Chief Minister is still walking and talking proud and stealing billions from you. In NZ He would have been in jail 30 and half years ago. Why are you so gullible & forgiving? For me, NOT ANOTHER HOUR! None of you have any guts. Pathetic. Tragic…. And how many are going out to BERSIH gathering?

Brian Pirit,
Do these look like Chinese-based areas to you? Chinese-based party? To replace SUPP? You’ve got to be joking. Why must you look at anything from a racialist perspective? SWP is supported and most likely financed by the Sng Family. But, I know George Lagong the assemblyman for Pelagus is Larry’s uncle. So it is not entirely a Chinese affair. But you seem to see this as a Chinese plot. I think BTN has gotten to you. But you are right about. This exercise is about splitting Dayak votes.

…
written by John Rimbau Sarawak, April 24, 2012 09:54:47
When SNAP was strong in the 70s and early 80s, it was split right down the middle by the emergence of PBDS. But when PBDS in turn became stronger, it was split in the same manner as SNAP was. The same old stry was replayed once again with the SUPP which is now split between the SIbu and Kuching/Miri factions. This is the same for PRS with the formation of SWP. And who is behind all these shenanigans ? The Thief Minister of Sarawak of course, Taib is his name.

…
written by brian pirit, April 24, 2012 01:05:09
The Divide and Rule master destroyer at his game again. Another chinese base party to replace the out of favour SUPP perhaps? Sng said he has the dayaks at heart but why divide the Dayaks with this chinese base party? Certainly a conspiracy between a fake dayak and a melayNOW to further split the dayaks. Why esle would he approve of the registration of SWP? Lets wipe that stupid grin off his face this coming GE!

…
written by malsia1206, April 23, 2012 21:26:53
When you have an ally by your side, he better stay weaker than you.
When your ally gets too strong for comfort, your own position is at risk.
Both PRS and SPDP are getting to unravel the nerves of the CM. Both have a strong support rural base. Should either or both play the u-turn, the CM may languish in the newly-built prison in the Kuching outskirt.
So welcome abroad, SWP. I need a checkmate.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

More fail. This is intended to impose Hudud eventually, and as mentioned elsewhere, Hudud can only be applied on a case by case person by person acceptance. This is illegal and should be challenged by democratic Islamic scholars as ‘there can be no compulsion in religion‘ (Quran verse, Al Bakara 2:16). Such fatwas will be issued in a manner that compels. Islam if used as a political tool of control will damn any who do not follow the spirit of the Quran, especially more so for affecting non-Muslims.

With a politically-motivated Elections Commission (EC), Malaysians face the dirtiest general elections in history. As all other efforts to clean up the electoral process has failed, civil society has no other choice but to group under Bersih to involve all Malaysians to press for clean elections in the Bersih sit in protest tomorrow.

Tunku’s remarks is not the DAP stand but his own personal view. Senator Tunku is alone amongst the entire DAP Central Executive Committee in his stand on Bersih 3.0 at Dataran Merdeka.

Tunku has not notified the party leadership that he would be making his position publicly. By making his stand public, Tunku has contradicted the principle of collective leadership and decision-making where whilst one can disagree, but as leaders we all have to abide by the majority decision made by the party leadership.

This has placed the party in an embarrassing position of being criticized by our own Senator for fully endorsing Bersih’s sit-in protest as an exercise of a basic human right of peaceful assembly.

By opposing Bersih when so many Malaysians are working hard to effect change for a clean electoral process, Tunku has undermined their efforts and given a gift to BN and the tainted EC.

Time has come to ensure a bright and clean future for our kids

I have conveyed to Tunku Aziz the party’s rebuke and the unhappiness of almost all DAP members at the public expression of his personel views against Bersih’s sit-in protest. I have also impressed upon him that whilst DAP allow differences of opinion within the party, publicly opposing a policy decision taken by the party in the manner Tunku has conducted himself does more harm than good.

For the electorally abuses by a politically inclined EC, where its top officials were UMNO members that has allowed itself to be used as a tool by BN, DAP fully supports and will mobilize its members for the Bersih sit-in protest for clean elections on 2pm 28 April 2012 nation-wide. DAP urges all Malaysians to join the Bersih rallies nation-wide, especially at Dataran Merdeka.

DAP strongly condemns the actions and warnings by the government, especially Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, to ban this peaceful sit-in protest by instilling fear of untoward incidents. The use of fear tactics only betrays the real character of the BN government as dictatorial and tyrannical. As American President Thomas Jefferson said,

When a government fears the people, there is liberty;

When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The most fearful thing is term limitless Oligarchs and NEPOTISM in political parties that destroy activists instead of welcoming them so that they can be afforded some protection for ‘services rendered’. I do not agree with Tunku’s tacit approval of apartheid or lack of Article 18 UNHCR by a glaringly obvious non address of the issues (thus rendering the lack of address by LGE on the same apartheid issue even more obvious), but a political party that has no principles or ethics deserves no support from ANYONE.

For the neglect that near caused and has caused deaths, I am 100% with Tunku if that will remove product of nepotism LGE’s quorumless nepotistic golden parachute beneficiary mouth shooting off here on the media and online. Replacing the devil BN with the DAP deep blue sea (red ocean type to boot I warn), if not an option. How about Tunku lead the 3rd Force and drop these bunch of unethical nepotistic and uninclusive Pakatan losers who steal and parrot ideas instead of giving credit where is due. Have at Pakatan! And BN is an apartheid party so corrupt that the Human Rights Council should be shamed for allowing Malaysia to be a member of the Human Rights panel. Idiot politicians! 3rd Force when are you making your move? Get together and start organising yourselves, we had enough of the family blocs and selfishness of Pakatan and the apartheid-racism and corruption of BN!

All family bloc and apartheid and fundo 3rd world countries deserve no respect or UN standing. UN should boycott and condemn Malaysia at every turn hereon. LGE is one Tunku short of getting his a$$ canned by the BN, but pushes for idiotic face gaining, point scoring b.s. by arguing instead of Ending Apartheid or obtaining the above 3 Items with Tunku Aziz’s help. As mentioned before, LGE is the worst so-called ‘leader’ ever. File that lawsuit yet? Ready to resign as CM over apartheid? No? Then GTFO of Penang, there is no quorum to justify that CM’s seat with, and dad is just a Mubarak style term limitless MP that deserves to be booted for destroying democracy with cult of personality. Without address of apartheid, arguing with Tunku makes for a meaningless political party.

ARTICLE 4

Bersih: The negotiation for freedom — Zara Kahan – April 27, 2012

APRIL 27 — Umno’s old guards have called (their) Malaysia’s version of democracy a “guided” democracy, as if we are a nation of brain-damaged children who need our hands held at the polls.

Label it however you like. In actuality, the democratic nature and state of freedom in every nation in the world is not a static thing; it is a continuous negotiation between those in power and the people who have decided to give them that power.

Governing a nation is no easy thing, and certain limitations to freedom are necessary to maintain stability and security. The fairness of these limitations, however, depend on the nature of the people we elect, and human beings are corruptible creatures, susceptible to greed, fear and gross errors in judgment.

Even in the oldest democracies, such as America and Britain, the extent of freedom enjoyed by every citizen is not a static concept. The Patriot Act has allowed extreme infringements on individual liberty, and a sizeable number of these individuals accept it because it is done in the name of keeping bomb-wielding jihadis away from them.

Similarly, from the very conception of Malaysia, we have accepted several trade-offs. Want a stable economy? Shut up. Want a safe nation? Let us jail men who criticise the government.

Malaysia as we know it is a result of silent negotiations done over the years, in which the inaction of the majority of people signified that this is an acceptable bargain.

Is Bersih a sign that the majority opinion has changed? It’s hard to quantify since both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat love exaggerating the amount of support they have while most folks will keep their opinions to themselves.

Numbers aside, this is simply another turn in a cycle of pushing and pulling for more freedom, and Bersih will not solve everything. Neither will a new government, no matter what Anwar Ibrahim may promise you.

There is no big cure that will save us; even if all 22 recommendations of the Bersih committee replaced our national anthem, our freedom will never be guaranteed infinitely.

Sorry people, but our mechanism relies on human beings and the flesh is weak.

On a more positive note, the dialogue between Us The Rakyat and Kerajaan Yang Dikasihi has definitely gone beyond the silence and grudging consent that plagued the years of the generation before us.

There is a voice that will ring in Dataran Merdeka tomorrow, and no matter what you think of it, as Malaysians we must appreciate the quality of that voice; strong, clear and unyielding.

This is a tone that will create a difference in this ongoing negotiation to protect our rights as free men and women.

* Zara Kahan reads The Malaysian Insider

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Zara sounds like she’s from the generation that she labelled ‘before us’. This makes this response writer’s (moi) generation earlier than Zara’s as evn contrasted by those evidently younger than moi. Hey old lady, stop speaking for the establishment and pretending top be the YOUNG VOICE of Bersih. Freedom is INFINITE, and these punks will be wild. But perhaps limited by zones – FOR NOW . . . you beneficiary dreamer or post-beneficiary shill!

We’ll uncover how your dad and your family got their wealth or if they are involved in orphanages as a certain Mokhtar character might be, behind her corrupted older generation beneficiary of cronyism dad (if not true, please ignore). Sickening.

Aged, middle aged and young. Got it? Zara belongs to the ‘RPK Old’ bunch even if actually a young person. So stop talking as if ‘this generation’ is to be limited in acquisition of social democratic protections. We’ll abolish taxes and apartheid, as well as make apostasy legal in a single election as well as establish nudist and RLD, OPZ, zones in international cities Insyallah (for non-Muslims of course). REAL PEOPLE first not, the aged and the stuffy or the establishment or establishment fette-er. The negotiation for freedom is unending and absolute, as anything less means authoritarianism at worst (though overpopulation can ruin everything . . . ).

This group of leaders can file a lawsuit that is legally binding that international observers can watch. Then IF the leaders get arrested, a ‘March for Freedom of the Arrested (that peacefully filed lawsuits)’ becomes appropriate. Not the leaders march amidst media fanfare without a lawsuit and people induced to join getting hurt. AND the ‘leaders’ got away scot free, which indicates possible collusion with BN ! See article on Ambiga and Khairy sitting doesn for a ‘tete-a-tete.’ This achieves nothing and shows there is no risk to the so-called Bersih ‘leaders’ (. . . now we know why Onsokumaru landed on that water bottle . . . ).

EPIC SMILING (Crocodile) FAIL. People were beaten and tear gassed causing several to faint. From reports 1 person died, 2 others crushed by a car. Though fortunately for the rest, no worse than temporary detentions occurred. Smiling broadly again eh? File those lawsuits like real leaders to avoid this sort of thing. Stop being strawmen clowns!

Understand what’s going on Rakyat? Hegelian Dialectic! Run for candidacy as independents or join 3rd Force Parties on the below 3 items!

KUALA LUMPUR– Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim often likes to portray himself to the world as Malaysia’s great crusader, peaceably agitating for change against a seemingly unbending, authoritarian regime.

After Bersih 2.0 last year, he played the victim quite persuasively, mobilising his friends in the foreign media to attack the government for taking “brutal action” against peaceful protesters.

But after his questionable role in Bersih 3.0, Anwar’s star appears to be waning. In fact, things have gone downhill that — far from heralding him as a democrat — many are now accusing Anwar of inciting violence.

Video footages from Bersih 3.0 posted on YouTube shows Anwar making a curious rolling gesture with his hands to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. Within seconds, PKR supporters breached the police barricades and charged into Merdeka Square, prompting the police to respond with tear gas and water cannons to prevent a stampede.

In an interview with Radio Australia on Tuesday, Anwar denied that his hand gesture was a signal to protestors to breach the barricades, instead claiming implausibly that it meant, “negotiate with the police”.

People will make up their own mind about the truth, but so far, few outside observers appear convinced.

“Mr Anwar has some explaining to do”, was The Economist’s verdict – and, here in Malaysia, Anwar’s role in Bersih 3.0 has been similarly criticised by people from many ends of the political spectrum.

At a PKR press conference on Monday, independent filmmaker Benji Lim accused Anwar of endangering the lives of protesters, as well as jeopardising Bersih’s cause. The protest “was completely hijacked by the opposition,” he exclaimed, before being bundled unceremoniously out of the room.

Even Bersih 3.0 chief organiser Ambiga Sreenevasan has lamented Bersih’s politicisation by opposition leaders, telling journalists that she “cannot control what they say”.

Anwar has dismissed any criticism of his conduct. Instead, at the press conference, he launched a bizarre attack on the government, accusing the Barisan Nasional leadership of behaving like Stalin and Hitler.

He went on to suggest his fate was comparable to a Nazi concentration camp victim – a claim made even more appalling because he was speaking on the exact anniversary of Hitler’s death.

This episode, whichever way you cut it, also raises broader questions about Anwar himself, and his opposition allies.

Can persons who hijack a peaceful rally for their personal political ends be fit to lead a nation of 28 million people?

Do they have a steady, prudent hand that we need to guide our country’s burgeoning economy?

To those who know the opposition politicians well, say that what happened on April 28 was unsurprising.

This time round, the opposition politicians have been caught on film footages, which will bear witness to their actions.

Political observers say that Anwar has often been seen indulging in “hand gesture politics”, revelling in grand spectacles but offering voters little in terms of a detailed blueprint for transformation.

Finally, many would say, Anwar’s “hand gesture politics” appear to have backfired.

Don’t be surprised to see him spend much of the coming weeks and months explaining what his Bersih hand gesture really meant.

Lim labelled as “incomprehensible” the police force’s failure to take stock of its previous mismanagement of public assemblies. — File pic
KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Bar Council chief Lim Chee Wee today called for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) next Friday to discuss the storm of issues surrounding last Saturday’s Bersih 3.0 rally for electoral reforms, two days after accusing the authorities of human rights violations and widespread brutality.

Notice for the May 11 EGM was issued on the Malaysian Bar’s official website earlier this afternoon, to discuss a motion “in relation to the events of and surrounding the public rally on 28 April 2012 organised by Bersih 3.0, and matters in connection therewith”.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak earlier today labelled last Saturday’s demonstration an attempt by certain quarters to overthrow the elected Barisan Nasional (BN) government, as he hardened his administration’s position towards the electoral reform movement.

Lim had previously said that the Bar’s monitoring team found more instances of police brutality compared to last year’s July 9 Bersih event.

He previously said the authorities failed to take heed of criticism and recommendations outlined by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) with regards to police conduct during Bersih’s first two rallies, and lamented on how “little has changed.”

“It is incomprehensible, if not a reflection of the sheer incompetence or arrogance of the police force, that it has not learnt from its past mistakes in the management of assemblies of people exercising their constitutional right, so well documented and analysed by Suhakam in its two reports and the pending ongoing inquiry.

“Police brutality this time around has been magnified; there is more police brutality (compared to last year.) There was arbitrary use of tear gas, water cannons,” Lim told a news conference last Tuesday.

The lawyer said that last weekend’s events showed an “urgent” need for the police force to undergo a “transformation programme”, to be changed by force of statute through the establishment of the recommended Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

He said the Bar’s interim report on the Bersih 3.0 rally had found that the rally was peaceful until around 3pm when the police unleashed water cannon and tear gas on the crowd; the use of force by the police without any obvious provocation or cause, was far worse, indiscriminate, disproportionate and excessive; and police brutality more widespread.

It also noted a concerted effort by the police to prevent and stop any recording of their actions and conduct. Such actions included firing tear gas directly at the crowd and in such pattern as to box in the participants rather than allow them to disperse quickly.

According to the council, this was found to elicit pockets of retaliatory behaviour by some participants of the rally. The police were also observed taunting and mocking the crowd. When items were thrown by some of the participants at the police, the police responded in kind.

Lastly, the report highlighted that not all police personnel were wearing and displaying their police identification number on their uniforms.

Lim also said that the authorities had disregarded provisions within the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials (UNBPUFF), the United Nations Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials (UNCC), and Amnesty International guidelines.

The Bar EGM will take place at the Sunway Putra Hotel (formerly the Legend Hotel) in the city at 3pm next Friday.

Betrayal of a war hero: Why did the Army pursue Para through the courts for two years at a cost of £300,000… just for stopping a Taliban suspect fleeing? – by Ian Drury – PUBLISHED: 22:57 GMT, 25 April 2012 | UPDATED: 22:57 GMT, 25 April 2012

Paratrooper: Corporal C (not pictured) was pursued by the Army for punching a Taliban suspect in the face

A paratrooper who was dragged through the military courts for hitting a Taliban suspect – in a case that cost more than £300,000 – was finally cleared yesterday.

A judge threw out the Army’s case after describing the evidence against the soldier as ‘weak and tenuous’.

The alleged victim couldn’t even be bothered to turn up.

The 31-year-old defendant, known only as Corporal C, punched the prisoner once in the face as he interrogated him in Helmand Province.

The Special Forces soldier had been desperate to discover the possible location of improvised explosive devices.

Cpl C, who served for nine years before quitting in disgust at his treatment, admitted hitting the captive, whom he insists was trying to escape.

But the military refused to drop the case – even though the captive, Ahmed Wali, did not want to make a formal complaint, and there were no witnesses to the incident.

The case is estimated to have cost the taxpayer more than £300,000 and it plunged the military into a political correctness row.

The Service Prosecuting Authority even paid tens of thousands of pounds to retain Sarah Whitehouse, one of the country’s most eminent barristers, to fight its case.

Last night Tory MP and former infantry officer Patrick Mercer said: ‘I always thought that Cpl C had acted with remarkable courage, restraint and professionalism in the circumstances.

‘He was operating deep in enemy territory with a real threat of losing life and limb. Now it seems that a judge has finally agreed.
‘This has been a scandalous waste of public money and it is dreadful that a good soldier has had to live with the threat of this hanging over him for so long’
Patrick Mercer, Tory MP and former infantry officer

‘This has been a scandalous waste of public money and it is dreadful that a good soldier has had to live with the threat of this hanging over him for so long. It seems political correctness has been put ahead of the welfare of our troops.’

Cpl C, who is originally from Glasgow, had spent nearly two-and-a-half years with the charge hanging over him.

But Judge Advocate Alistair McGrigor, sitting at the Portsmouth Naval Base court martial centre, yesterday slung out the case halfway through the hearing.

(The judge) said: ‘My ruling is that the prosecution case is so tenuous and so weak that I will stop the trial at this stage.’

Last year three judges, asked to review the evidence at the Court Martial Appeal Court in London, branded the case ‘unfortunate’ saying it was a ‘large hammer (to deal) with a relatively minor matter’.

Cpl C, who had risked his life serving with distinction in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was a qualified tactical questioner when the incident happened on March 1, 2010.

The shameful saga

He was section commander of a joint British and Afghan patrol which set up a vehicle checkpoint in Babaji, a Taliban stronghold strewn with IEDs.

The patrol, which had been on duty for eight hours, was aware that insurgents were planning a vicious attack and had faced a near constant barrage of small arms fire.

The court martial was told that at about 10am, the patrol stopped a motorbike carrying two men who were ‘acting suspiciously’.

British troops believed they were acting as ‘dickers’ – spotters – for Taliban fighters. As a member of the Afghan Territorial Force waded across a canal to approach the men, the rider pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him.

The insurgent was shot and Wali, the pillion passenger, was taken into a nearby compound for questioning. The prisoner was held in plastic handcuffs and made to squat – standard Army practice – during the interview.

Wali, who was carrying a list containing the names of senior Taliban, was left alone with Cpl C for about a minute while an interpreter and another serviceman were called away. When they returned, they found Wali had ‘a swollen lip and blood on his face’.

When questioned by the Royal Military Police, Cpl C said he punched Wali as insurgents were firing at the compound and laying down IEDs. Explaining that the pair were squatting about one foot from each other, Cpl C said Wali had suddenly raised his arms.

He responded by striking out with his left fist. He said: ‘I thought he was going to hit me or run away, or worse-case scenario he could have taken my weapon off me. At that time I thought it was the correct decision.’

Cpl C, who has seen close comrades killed and injured in battle, added that he was carrying his full kit and could have easily been pushed over by the detainee. Mark Aldred, defending, said the soldier’s action was ‘a proportionate response to a perceived risk’.

He added: ‘This is of course Afghanistan. In the context of what goes on there, the fact that a detainee made a brief attempt to escape and was being faced with minor force would barely register on the Richter scale.’

Miss Whitehouse, prosecuting, said the Army doubted Cpl C’s claim that he acted in self-defence because he did not mention the Afghan’s escape bid until he was formally interviewed by the Royal Military Police three months later.

It also emerged during legal arguments that Wali did not want to make a complaint against Cpl C. After he was released, efforts to track him down in Helmand failed.

Critics believe the Army was trying to repair its reputation in the wake of the scandal over Baha Mousa, the hotel receptionist who was beaten to death by British troops in Iraq in 2003.

Suspicious: Face-covered militants who they say are Taliban fighters, pose with RPGs and AK47s, in Zabul province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan

Last night, Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said: ‘I think the person who pressed for this to be brought before court martial really does need to have their very, very poor judgment questioned.

‘The judge has very quickly come to the conclusion there is no case at all to answer. It is quite right that if there are allegations of ill-treatment to prisoners they must be investigated. That is absolutely correct. But if it cannot be proved that there is evidence of wrong-doing then it is disgraceful that it goes to a court martial.

‘The soldier must have spent the last two years under terrible pressure when what he was doing was fighting for his country and putting his life on the line.

‘It appears that no one has had the common sense to look at the context, which was that he was on a battlefield in very real danger.’

Major Charles Heyman, who edits the British Army handbook, added: ‘It’s good that this case has been thrown out. It is shocking that a soldier who was doing his duty has been hauled before the courts on such flimsy evidence. Sadly this is all too familiar because there are over-zealous prosecutors who are unwilling to think anything other than the worst of our soldiers.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. The comments below have not been moderated.

Lots of things happen during a war – people get killed as well as a fat lip! Whoever sanctioned this prosecution should be sacked!!

– Will, Bangor, 26/4/2012 10:21
Rating (0)

Why didn’t the PM step in and stop this farce! He is quick enough to read out names of fallen soldiers in the house of commons which I find hard to stomach that these people say this to try and make us believe that they care.

– sick of all the waste, Leeds, 26/4/2012 10:20
Rating 1

you can use lethal force in self defence namely yours that of those around you or private property, where is the case against this man?

– simon, hogwash, 26/4/2012 10:15
Rating 1

Perhaps our forces personnel should be supplied with special uniforms which keep one arm permanently tied up because that often seems to be the result of the regulations under which they have to operate.. Our forces were sent to Afghanistan in 2001 in what was supposed to be a peace-keeping role but it’s been out and out war which the Taliban and Al Quaeda recognise even if of our top brass don’t.

– Marie , England, 26/4/2012 10:13
Rating (0)

Please stop calling all servicemen ‘heroes’ who fight and serve in these illegal wars, its insulting to the intelligent readers. The last heroes we had fought and died in WW2.

This is not new! Back in the 1970s, open fire in NI and the investigating branch and the civil police would be all over you trying to make out you ‘fancied shooting at something’. I witnessed one soldier threaten the military policeman trying to belittle a fellow infantryman had the soldier not calmed down when I told him , I honestly believe the MP would have got one round the back of the head from me too on his way down! Have my doubts that this was reported by a regimental NCO or or officer. Despair at the anti officer nonsense that I read, having started at the bottom and worked up I saw that most regimental officers are superb – and they come from all walks of life, there were very few public schoolboys in my last mess. Since 1914 the British army officer corp – pro rata has taken greater casualties than the rank and file it saddens me that the heavy sacrifice is never given recognition.

– Bill, Venta Belgarum, 26/4/2012 10:09
Rating (0)

This soldier, like the rest of the country, has been betrayed! firstly by Bliar then by the buffoons who prosecuted him!

– horseboi, Oxford UK, 26/4/2012 10:06
Rating 7

Good to see the armchair critics out in force. The nearest they get to experience someone trying to kill them is when they play a computer game. Easy sat at home telling our guys and girls out there what to do.

– steve, wrexham, 26/4/2012 09:59
Rating 6

Illuminati….

– Craig , Kent, 26/4/2012 09:59
Rating 3

Absolutely right that this matter should be pursued – The Army beat a man to death in Iraq “conditioning” him for interrogation. There is no place for violence in interrogation – and this was not in the interrogators manual or training – Thomas, Newcastle, 26/4/2012 5:34=====That’s right Thomas, they should just behead people with rusty knives and film it instead! To all you army/country hating traitors, were you born this way or is it something you have morphed into in your slither through life? I just hope and pray for all our sakes that you/we never have to call on the services of the army you seem to hate so much.

– Lancastrian, Yorkshire, 26/4/2012 09:58

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Humanity has, since developing past the low density tribal era (at least in tribes where everyone was an important individual in their own right) been in a war of psychic imprinting where FREE CHOICE of one’s favourite person to be imprinted by should be CHOSEN FREELY, instead of being forced upon by a dictator or (forceful, aka psychologically manipulative – psychiatry is viewed as a branch of the ‘secret police’ in the 3rd world, not medical professionals to help genuinely ill persons – or abusive ‘personalities’ (ask about the rapes and murders that have and continue to occur in these parts, compounded by lies and rumours by vicious cronies out to get their opponents or even bad relationships intentionally soured, sometimes to gain access to wealth by a burgeoning class of manhaters who form a backbone of insane that hide behind ‘male abuse’), perhaps a sick minded or older relative. Manipulative use of billboards, NLPs and placards pasted all over the place with a politician or less so though ‘inadvertant’ fans or converts occur alot more in actor-star imprints. All of the above is a form of this abuse, especially when non-consensual and should also be illegal. Perhaps a chapter in that ‘Spiritual Education Charter’ the UN has yet to print and require all schools to distribute and teach from?

Some imprints dominate entire nations due to cults of personality again spiritual criminals, much like term limitless politicians making b1tches of people who enter their political parties by imprinting upon them a certain faith, mindset or meme-set. Finally, though it is uncivil to copy uniqueness rather than develop one’s own unique look or phenotype without permission, or if the person is unaware of the implications of ‘stardom’ or ‘public personality’ (which ends up wtih hordes of disguusting cheap copies of the imprinter in question. The mass of generally formless faceless types can be thus be respected for ethics and awareness (less likely as people do have some sense of direction though not necessarily personality), if not pitied for inability to create a unique facial form of their own (more common).

As for the way the above case was handled, out of a pathological love for micromanagement, and refusal to allow pro-active behaviour and critical thinking to prevail (despite saying how democratic ‘the West’ is), in another few more decades of this, and the ‘West’ will have dug their own grave and buried the ‘West’ without need of any wars, not to mention that as of now they are already bankrupt and PARASITING off the productive middle class, keeping funds from circulating due to plutocrats’ sequestered wealth, and imposed dependency and hand out culture of the lower classes from bad laws to enrich crony suppliers.

BEIJING – A Chinese online fashion retailer is being probed for cashing in on Premier Wen Jiabao’s popularity to promote its latest T-shirts — an act that might have violated the country’s law on advertisement, Beijing commerce authorities said.

Vancl, popular for its pop culture apparel, stirred up controversy on Tuesday by advertising on its website a new series of T-shirts printed with Premier Wen’s signature quotations like “Forget About Me” and “Self-Reflection.”

Both quotes were picked from Wen’s emotional press finale this March when he addressed a press conference after the conclusion of the annual parliamentary session.

The 70-year-old premier’s term of office is slated to end in March next year. Since he took the post in 2003, Wen has become popular among the people and is sometimes fondly nicknamed “Grandpa Wen.”

The series of T-shirts is named “Look Up At The Starry Sky,” the title of a poem written by Wen and published in the People’s Daily in 2007.

One of the Vancl T-shirts actually features “Look Up At The Starry Sky” and “Step On The Concrete Ground” in Chinese calligraphy, in reference to a couplet Wen gave to students of Peking University in 2010.

The couplet was a metaphor for telling young students to hold high ambitions but take a step-by-step approach to achieve their dreams.

Pictures of Wen waving to journalists and taking questions, though not printed on the T-shirts, were splashed on the advertisement web page at http://www.vancl.com.

But the page was taken down by the company only hours after its appearance as many Internet users accused it of cashing in on the premier’s popularity to promote its products.

“Vancl’s online advertisement is suspected of violating the Advertisement Law which stipulates an advertisement shall not involve using the names of State organs or their functionaries,” a spokesman of Beijing municipal industry and commerce bureau told Xinhua.

The bureau would soon take actions in accordance with the law, he added.

While it is not unusual to see the faces of Chairman Mao and other late state leaders on souvenirs, it is rare to see images of incumbent leaders or officials being borrowed by pop culture.

Jiao Hongyu, a Vancl spokeswoman, told Xinhua the advertisement was designed out of respect for Wen, hoping the premier’s messages might have a positive influence on today’s young people, who are Vancl’s back-bone customers.

“We did a Lei Feng (a late heroic Communist soldier) series before and it was very well received,” Jiao said. “So when we planned this series, we did not foresee any negative impact it might bring.”

T-shirts of the “Lei Feng” series are sold ranging from 29 yuan ($4.6) to 59 yuan a piece. The “Look Up At The Starry Sky” T-shirts, however, have been pulled off from Vancl’s online purchasing platform.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Inappropriate for public officials. After the public official has retired, MAYBE because that official’s influence can still affect and make non-neutral policies. After the public official has passed on AND if there are no relatives of that official in government as well, t-shirts become and other memorabilia quite appropriate. Profiteering should not be at the expense of the stability of the nation.

MILAN, April 22 — Luciano Benetton will hand over the helm of the Italian fashion clothing company he helped found 47 years ago to his son this week, he said in an interview published today.

Benetton and his family turned the company into one of Italy’s best known brands with more than 6,500 stores in 120 countries and a reputation for controversial advertising and bold colours, but it has struggled against new competitors.

“The baton passes to my son Alessandro, who will become chairman,” Benetton, who turns 77 in May, said in an interview published in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

“After a run of 47 years, on Tuesday I will resign from the duties I hold in the company I founded with my siblings.”

A company spokesman confirmed the remarks made in the interview. Alessandro is currently deputy chairman.

Benetton has suffered from the emergence of more-flexible rivals such as Inditex’s Zara and Sweden‘s H&M . In January the family announced it would delist the company after a buyout of minority shareholders.

An industry source told Reuters in February that Alessandro was set to take charge and that the buy-out would give him room for possible asset disposals or alliances and help revamp the group to accommodate other family members.

In the interview, Benetton said his 48-year-old son had shown in the two years as deputy chairman he had the passion needed to run the group, now more than 90 per cent controlled by the family.

Benetton scrapped its 2011 dividend after sluggish consumer demand in Southern Europe and the rising cost of raw materials such as cotton led to an almost 30 per cent fall in net profit. — Reuters

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The corporate ethics issue arises. Not enriching all citizens, but 1 family. Leads to extreme plutocracy and doubtless golden parachute cronyism at the expense of the stockmarket and the stock holders. Nepotism is uncool. Benneton or any other ‘semi-professional’ companies posing as ‘corporate’ outfits based around family ties, are blood diamonds among corporate gems. In the world of political parties where laws that can imprison and fine are involved (i.e. faith vs. faith, narrow ethnic communalism etc..) this sort of behaviour of course is absolutely unacceptable and quite 3rd world-like in nature.

An “Inside the Beltway” public-interest group that investigates government corruption reported on Friday that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit — Judicial Watch v. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:12-cv-00346) — against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for records related to President Barack Obama’s illegal alien uncle, Onyango Obama, who was arrested in August 2011 on drunken driving charges in Framingham, Massachusetts as first reported by the Law Enforcement Examiner.

On March 27, 2012, Onyango Obama admitted to the Framingham District Court that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, meanwhile, indicated that the agency would continue deportation proceedings against Obama, as reported in the Boston Herald.

“Now that [Mr. Obama’s] criminal case has completed, ICE has communicated, in accordance with standard procedure, with his attorney regarding his removal pursuant to a previous final order by an immigration judge,” agency spokesman Brian P. Hale said.

Onyango Obama reportedly was first ordered out of the country in 1992 but refused to leave.

After Onyango Obama was released from federal custody at the Plymouth County House of Correction on September 8, 2011, via an “order of supervision,” JW filed a second FOIA request, seeking access to “all records of communications, contacts and correspondence” between ICE and the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Department,” as well as the other organizations listed in the previous FOIA request.

By letter dated September 20, 2011, ICE acknowledged both FOIA requests. A response was due by October 19, 2011. However, after six months, DHS has failed to turn over any records, explain why they should be withheld, or indicate when a response will be forthcoming.

Obama, who, upon his arrest, said his one phone call would be to the White House, has indicated that he will fight ICE’s efforts to deport him in a high profile proceeding that the Boston Herald conjectured could “drag on for years.”

While he fights deportation, Obama will be allowed to drive a car. He was supposed to lose his license for 45 days, but received a “hardship license,” from the Massachusetts’s Department of Motor Vehicles so that he could drive back and forth to his job at a liquor store. (Typically, illegal aliens cannot lawfully work in the United States.)

“Onyango Obama has already escaped deportation once. And given his family relationship to President Obama, the American people must be assured that the law is being impartially followed in this case. The Obama administration’s decision to flout FOIA and stonewall our records request suggests that there is something to hide,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

Special thanks to Judicial Watch’s Jill Farrell, director of public affairs, for her continued assistance and valuable information.
About the author:

Jim Kouri

Jim KouriJim Kouri, CPP, formerly Fifth Vice-President, is currently a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, and he’s a columnist for Examiner.com. In addition, he’s a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

One wonders if the whole issue is due to racism. Leave the old ‘black’ guy alone. Consider allowing Onyango Obama to stay in USA on compassionate and family grounds. Stop bullying. Dya think he’s a criminal? Or that there is no space in USA for 1 more illegal alien? Last I remember, Uncle Onyango was supposed to give a ‘Black Power’ speech in Malaysia following the death of a ‘black youth’ by the local paramilitary (junta?) who are also paid off the taxpayer’s funds without assent by any majority quorum of taxpayers to boot, so please stop trying to deport the guy. Onyango will be out of the USA giving seminars (which is more than what you might be doing) soon enough for quite awhile if Pres. Hussein’s (Obama) people know how to save face. You can’t deport someone who willingly left the country to be a respectable figure in educating 3rd world apartheid states about anti-racism . . .

“Dog Whisperer” host Cesar Millan might need some consolation from man’s best friend after his divorce was finalized.

TMZ is reporting that the self-taught expert dog trainer must pay his ex-wife, Ilusión, a one-time amount of $400,000, a monthly spousal payment of $23,000, and another $10,000 for monthly child support.

That may seem like a huge sum for a basic cable reality TV personality, but Millan can afford it.

The recently filed divorce documents, which were obtained by TMZ, show that Millan makes $170,000 a month — which is over $2 million a year. Though he is best known for hosting the National Geographic Channel’s “Dog Whisperer” for eight seasons — it has millions of viewers and is broadcast to over 80 countries — the 42-year-old has also authored several best-selling books and runs a Dog Psychology Center. The latter, according to the New York Times, is a 43-acre mecca he calls “Disneyland for dogs.”

And then there is Cesar Millan Inc., which accounts for all of Millan’s ventures outside of his TV show. According to the New York Times, that includes “speaking engagements; executive leadership seminars; a line of organic dog food, fortified water, shampoos and toys … and the charitable foundation financed by an undisclosed percentage of the company’s revenue.”

Ilusion, a Mexican-American who married Millan when she was 18 and he was 24, was very involved in her husband’s career. She helped him run Cesar Millan Inc. and designed the Illusion Collar, which helps control difficult dogs.

The couple, who filed for divorce in June 2010, had been married for 16 years and have two boys together.

The New York Times says the pair separated after the birth of their first son but reconciled. It quotes Ilusión as saying “We’re what I call Mr. Talent and Mrs. Brains. You can’t have one without the other.”

To which Cesar said: “My wife rehabilitated me.”

It is unclear what role Ilusión has had in the various business ventures since the divorce filing, though the charitable Cesar and Ilusión Millan Foundation has been since renamed the Millan Foundation.

People reported that Millan “famously came to the U.S. as a young man from his native Mexico with $100 in his pocket and a dream of becoming a famous dog trainer.” Now his client list includes Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and director Ridley Scott, all of whom needed help with their canines.

Millan, who lives in Los Angeles, became a United States citizen in 2010. He is known for rehabilitating troubled dogs, largely because he “lives in the now and maintains a sort of über-balanced mien,” according to the New York Times.

And he apparently values his privacy. TMZ reports that the divorce documents stipulate that any “intimate, personal and/or private information about the other party … including details of their personal and/or sexual relationships” must remain confidential. Any “photograph, film, videotape, recording … which is not commercially available” must remain private.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Nonsense. This woman needs a single 401K at most to retire on LIKE ALL OTHER *NORMAL* AMERICANS. Twice that amount would already be excessive. A typical family needs only 1-3K in support to get by. Challenge the ruling moron plutocrat. Having money does not mean one can sequester wealth, nor also be abused by stupid rulings that are inequitable. A nation of strong individuals need to also consider critical thought and challenging the bad law or bad judgment when bad judgments occur, or when encountering bad laws.

Marcel Proust wrote, “Let us leave the beautiful women to men with no imagination” — and if you’re loath to take dating advice from a French author who wrote a 10,000-page novel about a guy eating a cookie, well, you’ve clearly been brainwashed by decades of movies, TV shows and magazine ads. Me? I empathize more with all those less-than-perfect single women out there. I’m talking about those ladies who may not know that most ordinary guys are attracted to the quirks and so-called “flaws” they’re terrified will doom them to a lifetime of singlehood.

Now that I’ve opened that door, there’s no way to avoid the one supposed “imperfection” that keeps women awake at night above all others — their weight. Allow yourselves to be reassured by Dr. Judy Kuriansky, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating, who says that “many men like plus-sized women with soft bellies. This often happens when they had a mother or nanny who had that kind of body and they felt comforted and enveloped by the mother figure — protected from the world or the insults of other children. Also, men like women with large hips for anthropological reasons — it used to mean that the woman was fertile.” And in my own experience, the vast majority of guys (at least, the ones who aren’t on TV shows or in movies) don’t care much about a few — or even 20 or 30 — extra pounds.

So what other surprising things do a significant number of men find attractive about women? Here are five for your delectation:

1. Glasses. Says Jeff, posting on the Yelp.com message boards: “Every guy loves a girl in glasses, but women never seem to know that. It’s not like we’re keeping it a secret — why would we? It’d mean fewer girls in glasses! Some glasses-lover needs to infiltrate Cosmopolitan magazine and get the word out!” For some guys (mostly the lazy ones who grew up watching teen gross-out comedies), glasses connote a nerdy personality and a high IQ, which can have their own intrinsic appeal; others appreciate them as fashion accessories, while still others have a natural affinity for them because spectacle-wearing women remind them of their mothers or early childhood crushes.

2. Freckles. Just as the deodorant-producing industrial complex has created legions of denatured, pheromone-free men (it turns out that plenty of women like guys with an earthy, musky scent), the powers-that-be in the cosmetics industry have convinced women that their natural freckles need to be buried under thick slabs of spackle and bronzer. Tonja Weimer, writer of the syndicated “Savvy Dating” column, says this is all based on a huge misunderstanding: “Freckles represent being unaffected, natural and relaxed. To some men, they also make a woman appear somewhat ‘innocent’ and less jaded.” If you don’t have freckles, try wearing less makeup, which many men also appreciate.

3. An independent streak. In my own experience, the worst thing a woman can do — whether it’s on a first date or after 20 years of marriage — is subsume her naturally ebullient personality in an effort to be more “accommodating” to her partner and avoid making waves. Most guys like a brisk, good-natured argument, and if you nip this possibility in the bud by constantly replying “I agree” or “Yes, you’re right,” the relationship (not to mention the conversation) will go absolutely nowhere. On the other hand, though, playing devil’s advocate in every conversation just makes you seem combative. So if you find yourself disagreeing more than not with your date, maybe it’s time to look for someone that’s a better fit for you, personality-wise.

4. Plain Janes. Standards of beauty in today’s media-saturated world have become so artificially elevated that many otherwise attractive women are convinced they’re “homely” because of a slightly bigger nose or a crooked smile. The good news is that most guys don’t care about this stuff; the bad news is that a small minority of men have self-esteem issues of their own and will take advantage of yours when given the opportunity. Eric Weisholtz, cofounder of GetOnTheCouch.com, says that “a man may see a woman who is kind of attractive, a bit awkward, unrefined and — whether she knows it or not — in dire need of someone to coach her toward virtue. It’s like finding a ‘make your own girlfriend’ kit.” Don’t feel like being part of a science experiment? Find a guy who likes you for who you are, not what he can make you change about yourself.

5. Assorted quirks. Fran Drescher, star of The Nanny, had a piercing, snorting, abrasive laugh — and all it did was send the ratings of her show through the roof and make her a millionaire many times over. That laugh also unmasked a secret crush that most guys didn’t even know they had: the hot girl with an unexpected quirk. Says Lisa Steadman, author of If He’s Not the One, Who Is?: “You know you’ve met someone who’s a keeper when he or she compliments your quirks. Whether it’s the snort in your laugh or the way you twirl your hair when you’re thinking about something — or the fact that you have to double-check that you hit the alarm button on the car when you get home at night — the right person will think your quirks are adorable.” Remember this the next time you’re feeling self-conscious about slurping your straw three times as you finish your iced latte. You might just have the guy next to you entranced instead of annoyed!

Men, get the women’s perspective on this issue by reading 5 unexpected female turn-ons.

Bob Strauss is a freelance writer and children’s book author who lives in New York City. He’s also written the Dinosaur guide on About.com, the online information network owned by the New York Times.

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Sounds like a gay person who is a nerd to me. Maybe the author meant to title this, 5 things that make homosexuality and nerds special.

While the 24-year-old rapper was handed a citation for alleged marijuana possession, the model was busy committing a crime against fashion.

Wiz was collared at a Holiday Inn hotel in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday after investigators were called to his hotel room.

Cited: Wiz Khalifa admitted possessing marijuana in Nashville at the weekend and was served with a court citation

The star, whose real name is Cameron Thomaz, was due to headline a show in the city, but his night was ruined when the police showed up at his room.

Front desk staff at the hotel called police after received several complaints about marijuana use in his room.

Police claim that when they arrived they smelled marijuana, and when the door to his room was opened, they saw him throw a marijuana cigar out of the window. Not-so-sheepish: Wiz is open about his use of the drug and is starring alongside Snoop Dogg in an upcoming stoner movie

Not-so-sheepish: Wiz is open about his use of the drug and is starring alongside Snoop Dogg in an upcoming stoner movie

They also allege that when they asked if there was any more marijuana in the room he denied it, but they later found more on his companion.

Both suspects later admitted to having the drug and were cited for the misdemeanor possession.

They have until May 14 to show up at the Davidson County courthouse for booking on the charges.

He left Nashville on Sunday and has been in New York this week.

Call the fashion police: Amber Rose was in danger of being taken away in handcuffs due to her awful outfit in New York today

Rearly awful: The model’s outfit looked terrible from every angle

It will come as no surprise to his fans however, as he is open about his use of the drug and is even starring alongside Snoop Dogg in upcoming stoner comedy Mac and Devon Go to High School.

But the rapper was not the only one in his social circle committing a crime recently.

For his fiancée Amber Rose, who he proposed to last month, was in danger of being put in handcuffs by the fashion police in New York today.

Even by the 28-year-old’s outlandish standards her latest outfit was beyond the pale.

However her grey hooded top, baggy shorts, white sports socks, converse shoes and the red handkerchief she wore on her head was still not enough to stop fans asking for photographs.
A pair of poseurs: However his friends will surely be chuckling at her fashion disaster

A pair of poseurs: However his friends will surely be chuckling at her fashion disaster
Better in the shade: At least the glasses would have kept her in the dark about her ensemble

Better in the shade: At least the glasses would have kept her in the dark about her ensemble

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Her worst look to date and I normally love her body but I have to say she looks a bit fat in these pictures.

– OnlineGirl , Town , 26/4/2012 02:14
Rating 44

You’re right this time DM. This is DEFINITELY a fashion crime! I had a good laugh at her get up. Hahahah

– Ana, Canada, 26/4/2012 02:09

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Wiz should use this opportunity where Snoop Dogg failed, (also with all that wealth Wiz has) to challenge the unconstitutionality of the charges, of the unconstitutionality of the ban on all organic psychedelics which are after all freely given in nature.

No group of people have a right to forbid anyother group (this is the essence of democracy and civilisation, protection of minority rights) from using what is freely available or growing in nature, especially with threats of incarceration or extortion (fines) via ‘words on a piece of paper that have no bearing on reality and freedom laws‘. If the case to challenge bad laws against generally harmless organics fails (doubtful) as so many people do use organics, Wiz should demand that he be allowed to renounce the US citizenship and seek asylum in a country of his choice where organics are legal.

Do it Wiz, fight for democracy, for the right to use what Nature has given us for free! Don’t be a victim or a legal-system wuss Wiz, challenge the system on a Human Rights angle to use what nature has freely given mankind ! USA! USA! Pull a MLK on the system Wiz! Make them regret even daring to target you!

The Right to Sacrifice the Other: The American Genocides – by Munir Akash, Beirut: Riad El-Rayyes Books, June 2002. – REVIEWED BY Abdullah Mohammad Sindi, Ph.D. International Relations:

The American Genocides is a 200-page paperback book in Arabic and the latest scholarly work by Munir Akash who is a well-known Arab-American writer. Educated in his native Arab world, Europe, and the US, Akash authored, edited, and translated many articles and books in Arabic, French, and English on many subjects ranging from politics, to revolution, to poetry and sex. A recipient of several awards and honors both in Europe and the US, Akash also edited several scholarly periodicals in Paris, London, and the US including Jusoor, founded and published by him with the cooperation of Syracuse University’s publications in New York.

Written in a lucid style with a great deal of passion and courage which captivate the reader, The American Genocides contains a table of contents; an introductory chapter; seven main chapters documented by footnotes and sources; two appendixes on Native Americans; and two indexes, one on proper names and the other on places. The book also contains a small section about the author and his accomplishments.

Utilizing his expertise in Native American affairs, Akash wrote a profoundly shocking book. He did an excellent job in documenting the European genocides and other crimes against Native Americans from the time of the so-called “discovery” of so-called the New World in the late 15th century to the present. In this largest and longest holocaust in the history of the world, Akash estimated that 112 million Native Americans perished over the last 510 years both in North and South Americas. The invading Europeans destroyed over 400 North American Native Nations, such as the Iroquois, the Apache, the Navajo, the Cheyenne, the Cherokee, the Spokane, the Mohawk, and the Sioux.

Although some of these Native American victims (or so-called “Indians”) such as the Mayas, the Incas, and the Aztecs had great civilizations centuries before Europe, often superior to those of Europe at the time, the Europeans still claimed that their “divine” mission was to bring “civilization” to the New World and they brazenly referred to these natives as “savages” and “barbarians”. Also, despite the fact that the Native Americans initially welcomed the invading Europeans, were generous with them, and taught them how to survive in a new land, and how to plant food in an alien environment to them, the Europeans still have looked down, from the start, on these indigenous people and have called them such racist names as “brutes”, “vermin”, “wild varmints”, “devils”, “devil worshipers”, and “animals”. Not only uneducated Americans but also their political, religious, and social leaders have uttered these ugly and vulgar adjectives throughout US history.

Of the 112 million murdered Native Americans in the New World, Akash estimated that 18.5 million have been wiped out in what is known today as the United States.

He detailed how these horrific genocides and other crimes in the US have been committed by the “super race” WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) at all governmental levels throughout US history as well as by common settlers who brutally settle-colonized North America. From the very beginning of their colonization in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the WASPs have acted like real wasps with potent venom. They have savagely stung Native Americans by various methods of genocides from outright slaughter; to intentional infection by deadly diseases such as small pox, cholera, and plague; to forced brutal deportations known as “Indian Removal”; to confinements in horrible conditions in concentration camps and reservations; to intentional sterilization of Native American women without their own knowledge.

Ironically, some American Christian churches, which supposedly believed in “Thou shall not kill” and “Thou shall not steal”, openly condoned and supported at all levels these barbaric acts and slaughters of Native Americans as well as the thefts of their lands, resources, and properties.

Naturally, as Akash indicated, the US government and its agencies have carefully covered up these long series of genocides and ethnic cleansings against Native Americans. In fact, today’s standard American history textbooks and official documents throughout the US totally ignore these massacres and horrible crimes committed against Native Americans. According to the official American point of view, North America was “empty” of native people when the WASPs started to colonize it in the early 17th century, or at best “sparsely” inhabited by “primitive” or “uncivilized” tribes.

Nevertheless, being an Arab writer writing in Arabic for Arab readers, Akash then proceeded to make a brilliant analogical comparison between the WASP’s brutal racist colonization of North America and the ancient Hebrew’s gruesome colonization of Canaan (old Palestine), as well as the current savage colonization of Arab Palestine since 1948 by the Western Zionist Jews. In order to replace the native people and steal their lands and properties, both the WASPs and the Hebrews/Zionists had to commit genocides and brutal racism against the rightful owners of the lands. Both of these two racist colonizers have justified their massacres and thefts as “doing God’s work on earth”.

In fact, as God’s warriors and devout faithfuls, the WASPs and the ancient Hebrews as well as the modern Zionists have used the Old Testament for their own purposes to justify their extermination of the native peoples and the theft of their lands and resources. For example, in Joshua 6:21 we read: “And they utterly destroyed all that [was] in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword.” And in Joshua 24:13 we read: “And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and olive yards which ye planted not do ye eat.”

Next, Akash articulated his analogy further by drawing a perfect parallel between the WASPs and the Hebrews/Zionists. As the ancient Hebrews fled the brutality of the Pharaoh in Egypt, so did the WASPs from their king in England. As the ancient Hebrews crossed the Red Sea in a dangerous sea voyage, so did the WASPs across the dangerous Atlantic Ocean. As the ancient Hebrews got lost in their voyage to the “promised land”, so did the WASPs on their “Mayflower” across the Atlantic. As the ancient Hebrews considered themselves to be “the chosen people of God”, so did the WASP “pilgrims”.Â As the ancient Hebrews made a “covenant” with “God” during their wandering, so did the WASPs. And as the ancient Hebrews finally arrived in the “promised land” of Canaan, so did the WASPs in the “promised” New English Canaan.

Both the Hebrews and the WASPs wanted to establish “a city upon a hill”, a biblical notion of supposedly “a utopian society”. In fact, the WASP “pilgrims” referred to their settled-colonies in North America by such names as “Israel”, “God’s new Israel”, “Zion”, and “the promised land”.

Akash then eloquently argued that the “biblical Jewish/Zionist” philosophy, espoused by the American founding WASP fathers, has naturally evolved into the following 5 basic doctrines, which have guided American policies from the earliest blood baths in Plymouth to the current butchery in Afghanistan:

1. The Israeli meaning of the US (the Hebrew mythology that created the nation).

2. The Divine Election doctrine, “Chosen People” imagery, and the superiority of the WASP race and culture.

3. The right to lead and “save” the world (errand in the wilderness).

4. The predestined expansion (the divine right and ability to expand US domains endlessly).

5. The right to sacrifice the other.

Accordingly, as a direct result of these 5 ingrained doctrines in the American political and social psyches, the author correctly concluded that the intentional annihilation of Native Americans by the “super race” WASPs was not a unique or abnormal occurrence in American history. Rather, “the right to sacrifice the other” has always been a constant and systematic American norm from the dawn of the American nation to the present. In fact, many others groups and races throughout the world, both in past and current US history, have also been brutally killed en masse for a variety of reasons. Among these victims are millions of innocent Black Americans who died during the long history of the American brutal slavery system and the Jim Crow laws that followed it; hundreds of thousands of innocent Japanese who were horrifically incinerated by Atomic bombs in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final days of W.W.II at a time when Japan was already too weak to continue the war and was actually willing to surrender; and millions of innocent Latin Americans, Filipinos, Koreans, Vietnamese, Arabs, Asians, Africans, and other groups throughout the world who have lost their lives as a direct or indirect result of America’s military interventionism World-Wide to promote US national (i.e., corporate) “interest”.

It should be indicated here that Akash is one of few scholars in the US who had the courage to expose in details the hidden history of these crimes against humanity. In researching his excellent book, Akash meticulously consulted many valuable sources, both primary and secondary, including documents, books, periodicals, and websites.

He quoted such important scholars and specialists on Native American studies as Professor David E. Stannard who authored: The Conquest of the New World: American Holocaust; and Ward Churchill, a Native American Professor and author of: Indians Are Us? Culture and Genocide in Native North America.

I do not have many negative remarks on Akash’s book. However, in few cases throughout his book one found some Western proper names written only in Arabic as they were mentioned for the first time but without the easier identification of their names by Latin letters next to the Arabic ones. In addition, although the title of the book (The Right to Sacrifice the Other: The American Genocides) gave the impression that each chapter might be devoted to specific racial victims of American genocides, the authored concentrated in the 7 chapters of his book on Native Americans. The author made only passing remarks about the American holocaust against Black American slaves, Filipinos, Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s civilians, Vietnamese, Latin Americans, Iraqis, Afghanis, and other victims throughout the world many of which were subjected to biological warfare. For example, in page 151 of his book, The American Holocaust, David Stannard stated that during the American slave trade “… at least 30,000,000 – and possibly as many as 40,000,000 to 60,000,000 – Africans were killed … before they even had a chance to begin working as human chattel on plantations in the Indies and the Americas”.

The American Genocides by Akash is an excellent book for all readers especially those interested in US history and in the plight of the New World’s indigenous peoples.

I recommend Akash’s book without any reservation whatsoever to all Arab readers, young and old. In fact, all Arab readers will be highly intrigued by Akash’s eloquent analogy between the WASP “pilgrims” in their brutal invasion of North America and the savage Hebrew/Zionist invasion of Palestine. The similarities between the brutal actions of the WASPs towards Native Americans and the actions of the Hebrews/Zionists towards the natives of Palestine (both ancient Canaanites and modern Palestinians) could also easily explain to all Arabs – especially those who still pin their hopes on the US to be fair – the current American unconditional support for Israel’s brutal policies in Arab Palestine. Also, those few Arabs who are still puzzled by the American total blind support of the Zionist entity should read this book.

In brief, Akash’s book is powerful and captivating. It is a good and informative reading, well researched and well written.

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We will support Yauch’s work by asking the government of the United States to relinquish all political and military power to the Native Americans (drop all Governorships hand over top military posts, etc..) in exchange for China granting sovereignty to Tibet.

After all there were no WASPs in USA and government should be held by the Native Americans – AFTER reparations for Holocaust style Native American Genocides (for being Pagans and having an organic culture not typified by Capitalism) by the Protestant Xians, German style apologies for Nazism and repatriations of ALL ethnically Caucasian persons who had derived wealth from enslavement of NAs, or sequestered NA lands (especially native ancestral burial grounds and sacred grounds) have been returned to the remnants of the tribe in question.

China will have no excuse to continue holding Tibet IF the Native American peoples are given their sovereignty starting with the Republic of Dakota, and then the Republic of Aztlan (which could either rejoin Mexico or become a sovereign state), and finally the Republic of New Africa (in conjunction with the NA tribes in the original area if assenting).

Do the Caucasians in USA love Tibet enough to take the moral high ground and even recommend their fellow Caucasians who had held NA slaves or butchered NA’s in the early Protestant migrations for their own living space be repatriated, as well as relinquish all military and political power to the Native Americans to make a point that China cannot ignore? Otherwise consider Yauch’s work a failure and Tibet’s secession an impossibility.

There is no moral high ground otherwise for USA or any ‘American’ to pursue Chinese issues when glaring occupations of entire peoples to the point of near extinction lacking political and military control. More currently enacted violent occupations, occupations of subversion are listed below :

1) Native Americans in USA (Oppressing nation is England via Freemason-Illuminati cultists and WASP groups)
2) Aboriginese in Australia (Oppressing nation is England via Caucasian convict colonies)
3) Various First Nations Natives in Canada (Oppressing nation is England and less so France)
4) Maori people in New Zealand (Oppressing nation is England)
5) Inuit people in Greenland (Oppressing nation is Denmark)

;without UN Ambassadorial representation at the New York based (but soon to be based on an aircraft carrier) UN? If all of the above occupiers, which are considered 1st World Nations, relinquish control over their colonies, then only will China (a second world country for all purposes) willingly relinquish control of Tibet, though Tibet looks set to become a Buddhist Theocracy if care is not taken to ensure freedom of the populace which China presumably protects the population from. Please see below link for a skewed and one sided campaign by USA’s WASP propaganda weapon :

Dr. Abdullah Mohammad Sindi is a native of Saudi Arabia where has was a Professor of Political Science at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah. He now lives and works in the US where he has also taught at 4 universities and colleges in Southern California: The University of California at Irvine, California State University at Pomona, Cerritos College, and Fullerton College. Dr. Sindi has published several articles in different scholarly periodicals both in Arabic and English.

Anyone who imagines that Israel can attack Iran and not unleash another world war must be mad. Pray pause and think.

I know that if the world weren’t half-full of madcaps we wouldn’t have had the first two world wars in the first place. Both were touted as ‘wars that would end the world’ but they were essentially European, with Japan thrown into the second and most of the rest of the world in bondage to European powers drafted in, not really knowing what they were fighting, killing and dying for who and why. For King and country? Which King? Which country? Not theirs, surely? That was the lot of the Indian. Not so Iran, which was not enslaved and never was. Herein lies the essential difference in mental makeup, not in being Shia or Sunni.

But the next world war could truly bring Armageddon. It would be the end, if not of the world, if not of humankind, then certainly of contemporary civilization. Khatam shud. That includes Israel, which ironically would have started the war to protect itself. It would not be the first time that our brother Jews would have brought destruction down upon themselves. But I’m sure of one thing: the Jews may be anything but they are one people who are not crazy. Going by the record, they are the most intelligent people on earth, so intelligent that they often are too intelligent for their own good.

“Good,” some would say. “I want to get off this ship of fools. Let’s begin all over again.” That’s easy to say in the comfort of your armchair, but not so easy when you see your child’s skin peeling off before your eyes because of heat and radiation.

So what do we do? Give Israel what it wants? Not a bit of it. Think it through. Try and understand why Israel and its supporters (I use the word ‘supporters’ tongue in cheek) are fanning the flames of war and fomenting hysteria. Gauge what they really want, and then, if you can, outsmart them. Beat them at their own game. Not so easy, but if there is any Muslim country capable of doing this, the only one is Iran. The rest are…best not to say it. Or should I? The rest are largely regional general managers in America’s global scheme of things. Those few who are not are despots at the very least. Look at Assad the Tyrant of Syria and what he won’t do, how many of his own brothers, sisters and children he won’t kill just to cling to power. He should visit his despotic father Hafiz the Tyrant’s grave sometimes and see whether the can detect a throne there. He will find it not there but under his own derriere. Soon, someone else’s derriere will be on it. And his derriere will be gone.

It was Netanyahu’s speech in Washington that set the cat amongst the pigeons. It fell just short of a declaration of war. There is still a ‘window of opportunity’ open for an attack, he said, but fast for it would close soon and Iran would have passed the nuclear threshold. Time was of the essence, not to be wasted contemplating one’s navel. Israel didn’t need anyone’s blessings and would go it alone if need be. But as Tuco said, “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” With Netanyahu speaking so much, I doubt if he really intends to shoot. Soothing of feathers started in earnest. Kick the can down the road, at least until the US presidential elections and hope that better sense would prevail thereafter.

But then Israeli President Shimon Peres added to the hysteria by letting off in the same vein, that sanctions were only the first option. If they didn’t work all other options were still on the table, including a military strike. Echoes of Osirak, what?

Why don’t I think Iran will be attacked, either by Israel or America? Here are some reasons.

1. My analysis is rationality based. Ruling is ruthless, often bereft of rationality. Look at it objectively and you can only see losers in this conflict, no winners. Not one.

2. Obama is up for re-election this November. Here he is trying to get out of the two brainless wars his predecessor got him into, would he want to get or sucked into a much bigger one?

3. America and Europe’s economies are fragile. Truthfully, the world economy is fragile. Closing the Straits of Hormuz is easy for Iran, despite America’s fabled armada going up and down watery hills in the Arabian Gulf, like the Duke of York. They should recall the even more fabled Spanish Armada. When the price of oil goes up appreciably, which it most certainly will, the world economy will collapse. There’s no two ways about it. Would anyone in his right mind want that? The question is: are rulers in their right minds all the time? Types like us would be done and dusted, which is most of the world. India’s growth, already sputtering, will take a giant leap backward. China’s growth will stall. Humanity will go into wretchedness never before seen, not even in pre-biblical times.

4. Whatever destruction it might cause, Israel too will get destroyed in the process. Attacking Iran would be suicidal. Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas at the very least would jump into the fray. So might other Muslim countries, especially if their people rise in support, forgetting historic Shia and Sunni cleavages for the moment. It certainly would spell the end of many manufactured post-World Wars and post-colonial states.

5. Worse, whether it likes it or not, and regardless of the noises it is making, America would also have to jump into the fray, not just because of the inordinate pressure brought to bear on it by ‘The Jewish Lobby’ and AIPAC, but more because it would be eying who gets control of the oilfields of the Arabian Gulf and the Caspian Basin once the region starts unraveling. There is no gainsaying that Russia and energy starved China would not want a piece of the action. Even energy-starved India might madly imagine that it can also grab some of the booty. In that unlikely event, what adventure do you think Pakistan might get into? Even China might advise us to. Sounds like the Mad Hatter talking right now, I agree, but it won’t sound so mad when history comes to be written.

The foregoing begs the question: then why all this sabre rattling? It’s about applying pressure on:

1. America to side even more with Israel.

2. Russia and China to talk to Iran to make it come under international oversight, just as Pakistan is perennially being asked to. They are the only countries Iran might pay heed to.

3. The threat of the destruction that an attack on Iran would wreak could actually prevent a war and bring Iran to where Israel feels safe.

4. An US president driven by election fever would bend over backwards to placate Israel if he wants to win.

On the other hand, you just don’t know. Madness comes without giving notice. It doesn’t take an appointment. The rationale of rulers is different from the rationale of normal people. Often driven by imaginary demons, the confidence they exude is frequently hubris. They are so certain of their technology, their satellites, their listening and watching devices and their fearsome computer driven gizmos of mass destruction, that logic and rationality often desert them. That is how empires, superpowers and civilizations end and new ones begin. These are social super novae.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The war to end all wars (resulting in a Pax Belum?) will be waged either by mass produced ROBOTS (watch Robocop 1,2 and 3) and drones flooding the streets, OR via nanotech implants being hacked by opposing groups. Lets hope a sufficiently Multipolar World can keep all the warmongers fearful for their backs AND that Anonymous type groups (if this one is not contrived) are ready with the ‘nanotech brain-implant’ nullifying equipment and have sufficient sea or air based mobility to keep the people on land safe. Nukes are the lazy way and don’t benefit anyone except those ready with anti-radioactive equipment and bunkers or mobile bases to last 50,000 years – which means prohibitive costs and virtual bunker living for 1000 generations with strict population controls.

If the chemical/bioterrorism type weapons are used, only smaller and the most adaptive lifeforms will survive along with any ‘prepared’ with bio-filters, clean water reserves though species diversity will suffer tremendously. Or if the nanotech paradigm is used (the so-called chemtrails could very well be nanotech being scattered . . . grey goo scenarios will leave earth bereft of life and a wasteland filled with self replicating microscopic machines that could make Earth a quarantine planet if not a deadly death trap (watch Mission to Mars ( 2000, Brian De Palma) and note the ‘nematodes’ depicted in CGI – those ‘nematodes’ if MACHINE based AND made of metal etc, will be quite impossible to deal with short of LITERAL scorched earth policy – and being so small these nanotech things could probably survive carpet bombing as well, so DON”T use nanotech , the self replicating microscopic machine (grey goo) is even WORSE (impossible to clean up) than the 50,000 year ‘nukular’ winter . . . and the next generation of sentient life on this planet called Earth will likely be smaller than microscopic . . .

ARTICLE 2

President of Bolivia Insists in Legalization of Use of Coca Leaves

Kawther Salam, VIENNA, 12 March 2012. At the opening of the 55th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) which is meeting in Vienna from 12 to 16 March, the President of Bolivia, Mr. Evo Morales Ayma, asked the international community to assist his country in correcting a historical error that was committed against the Bolivian people when the government of dictator Banzer ratified the International Convention Against Narcotic Drugs of 1961 without reservations. He explained that his Government is vigorously combating cocaine trafficking and has destroyed tons of the drug. He said that his country needs more international assistance to combat the scourge, particularly equipment and technology.

However, Bolivia has decided to “denounce” (withdraw from) the 1961 Single Convention on Illicit Drugs in order to “correct the historic error” concerning the indigenous uses of the coca leaf and the stigmatization of the Coca plant. Bolivia will re-accede to the Convention but this time including a reservation allowing the traditional consumption of coca leaf, which is a tradition which his people has kept for thousands of years, he said.

President Morales stated: “I want to stress that at no time Bolivia has acted untimely or irresponsibly. Instead, our request for re-accession to the treaty with reservation seeks to normalize our relations with the convention and the institutional mechanisms that result from it, including the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) so that international cooperation and the country can focus on substance, on what is important, ie. on the progress and challenges related to the fight against drug trafficking”.

The Opening Session was attending by several hundreds of diplomats and high government officials from many countries. Among them was the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales Ayma, the Vice President of Honduras, the Vice Minister in the Ministry of Narcotics Control of Pakistan, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Ruth Dreifuss, the former President of Switzerland, Victor Hugo Barnica, the Counter Narcotics Minister of Afghanistan, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel-Osmani, the Justice Minister of Brazil, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, the Interior Minister of Iran, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office of Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Soubanh Srithirath, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health of Spain, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, and the Counter Narcotics heads of the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Peru, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and France amongst others. Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand will also be attending the CND.

UN Drugs Chief Calls for Stronger Cooperation Frameworks and Attention to Health as Way Forward for International Drugs Policy

UNIS -Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said during the opening session: “We face a transnational threat of extraordinary proportions that amounts to US$320 billion or some 0.5 per cent of global GDP”.

He added: stronger regional cooperation networks are vital for confronting the threat of illicit drugs. Fedotov stressed, Ministers and anti-drug officials from the 53 CND Member States will consider issues of concern, including the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes and preventing the diversion of chemicals for the manufacture of illicit drugs. The CND is the central policy-making body within the United Nations system dealing with illicit drugs.

The Executive Director urged States to intensify prevention strategies as part of a comprehensive response to drug demand, supply and trafficking. “At present, the balance between our work on the supply and demand sides stays firmly in favour of the supply side. We must restore the balance. Prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration and health have to be recognized as key elements in our strategy,” he said. “Overall, our work on the treatment side must be considered as part of the normal clinical work undertaken when responding to any other disease in the health system.”

Mr. Fedotov exhorted States to recognize that drug dependence was an illness; evidence shows that treatment is more effective than repression in addressing a public health challenge that takes some 250,000 lives annually. He noted that children were vulnerable to the effects of drugs and to protect them it was important to use family-based prevention methods.

In this, the centenary of the signing of the International Opium Convention in 1912, the first legal instrument on drug control, the Executive Director said it was important to recognize the gains made over that time but more needed to be done. He said the international drugs conventions provided the best way to mitigate the negative effects of illicit drugs on individuals and communities, while ensuring that those in need can obtain life-saving medications.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Coca Leaf Gum or Pastilles would be a Pepsi/Cola challenging product that would sweep the world by storm! Remember you read this idea here first, this idea is for Bolivia State to copyright, not some Western firm . . . Coca infused sweets, chocolates and cakes perhaps as well?

Coca Leaf Pastilles . . .

ARTICLE 3

Narco-Tyranny in a Tiny Town: Covington, Texas Police Chief Arrested; Residents “Scared to Death” of Police Retaliation – Posted on 09 March 2012 by William Grigg – UPDATE, March 10: Chief Laurence was fired by the Covington City Council during its March 9 meeting.

Wade Laurence, Chief of Police in a minuscule town called Covington, Texas, has been arrested by the Texas Rangers and charged with using a fraudulent prescription to obtain controlled substances, a third degree felony. With the Chief free on $20,000 bail, the City Council is planning to meet this evening (March 9), reportedly to consider disbanding the police force. Under Wade’s direction, the Covington PD has carried out what some residents of the town — including former members of the police force — describe as something akin to a reign of terror. In addition to fraudulently procuring prescription medications, Laurence has been accused of involvement in dealing drugs to local schoolchildren and illegal diversion of confiscated marijuana.

“They are scared to death now,” says City Council member Martha Smith. “They lock their doors, they lock their car doors because they are scared of the police.”

A report filed with the Texas Rangers by Officer Kayla Richardson (who provided a copy to Republic) describes how Wade — at the time a sergeant in the Covington PD — engineered the removal of Chief Dowell Missildine about a year ago. This happened after Chief Missildine began investigating Wade’s suspected theft of hydrocodone pills (a controlled substance) from the department’s evidence locker.

In his own report to the Rangers, Missildine relates how Wade had “asked me at one time if he could have Dr. [Petros] Chapanos fill some prescriptions in my name” for hydrocodone “because he stated that he accidentally threw his prescription in the trash…. I told Wade that I did not think he would do that because it was illegal.” Missildine later documented that Wade had indeed used the Chief’s prescription to obtain both hyrdocodone and Cialis. (Copies of those documents were provided to Republic as well).

Missildine recalled that he and Officer Richardson “had several conversations and she told me that [citizens] were complaining about drug activity and allegations of officers selling drugs to school kids and wanting her to do something about it. I told her I knew of most of the situations she was telling me about because of citizens contacting me also.” Last October, after Wade had forced out Missildine and replaced him as Chief, Richardson — who was still on the force — told him that “she was afraid for her life and that she felt they [Wade and his allies on the police force] were going to set her up on a traffic stop and have her killed because of information she was aware of in reference to the hydrocodone case.”

Shortly thereafter, Officer Richardson was also purged from the police force. She was not the only resident of the 250-person town — located a short distance south of Forth Worth — who is afraid of potentially lethal reprisals from the police.

“I’m scared people are going to start shooting me,” Covington-area resident Tracey Baccus told Republic. Baccus, who runs a sewer service company, volunteers in local sports leagues as a coach and umpire. Roughly a year ago he became concerned when he noticed that a number of kids displayed the symptoms of drug use.

“Kids began to tell me that stuff was being sold to them by the police,” Baccus recounted to Republic. “They said the police had assured them, `It’s not drugs, it’s prescription meds — and they’re legal.’” The supposedly innocuous “meds” included what Baccus described as “military-grade” Xanax. He contacted Missildine with his concerns.

“We talked to DEA; we talked to everybody,” he recalls. “I told Kayla [Richardson], and they took care of her. They even arrested her boyfriend in a City Council meeting.”

Retaliation: Shelby arrested at Covington City Council meeting

Richardson’s fiance, Clifton Shelby, was arrested during the same City Council meeting in which she appealed her termination.To justify this transparent act of retaliation, Chief Wade filed a complaint charging Shelby with “assault with a deadly weapon” for an incident on a local highway several weeks earlier that didn’t involve a collision: As Shelby, who was driving his truck, passed Wade’s Corvette on the wet and slippery road, he momentarily swerved into the other lane. Although Wade confronted Shelby at the side of the road, he didn’t write a citation or file a complaint until much later — when it offered him an opportunity to humiliate both Richardson and Shelby by dragging him from a public meeting in handcuffs.

The threats and retaliatory harassment have only escalated since then. Former Fire Chief George Burnett*, who circulated a petition calling to disband the police department, was also threatened by Chief Wade.

“The police chief and three other of his police came down and were raising Cain about me getting this petition signed,” Burnett told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. “They said I was raising a lot of trouble in town.”

Council member Martha Smith, 69, was threatened with arrest when she visited the municipal office to request copies of the official minutes for the years 2005-2007.

After Smith made her request, the town clerk, Courtney Childress — Wade’s girlfriend — “said that she wanted to talk to me,” Smith informed Republic. The two went to a back room where Childress indignantly told Smith that “CPS had been called and were trying to get custody of her son.” Smith, who had not called CPS on anybody, was puzzled by Childress’s behavior, which was aggressive and confrontational. “It seemed like she was trying to provoke me,” Smith related — an impression that was fortified when Wade and a Covington PD Detective named Andy Montgomery suddenly flanked Childress.

By this time, according to Smith, “I’d already put my hands behind my back.” However, hauling away a 69-year-old female City Council member would require some evidence of a crime, and Smith hadn’t provided any. She was allowed to leave — only to experience another shock when she went home.

“My 16-year-old foster son told me that a girl at school that day said that I was supposed to be arrested,” Smith reports. “It seems pretty clear that they were trying to set me up, and that if I had even touched her [Childress], they planned to take me to jail.”

This wasn’t the only threat Smith has endured.

“I was told that if I talked to the Texas Rangers [about Wade and his associates on the force] they would find some way to frame me or my family for drug trafficking,” Smith told Republic. “They said things such as, `We know who your grandkids are buying and selling from.’ I asked them, `You want to have them tested?’ I know they’re not doing anything like that.”

Threats having failed to silence Smith, somebody apparently decided to try a different approach: Sometime during the evening of March 1, the rear windshield of her SUV was vandalized. Both Smith and Scott Parker — another former police officer — told Republic that this took place on a night when Smith’s home was kept under constant scrutiny by officers driving “blacked-out” Covington SUVs.

Three Covington residents — including two former police officers — suspect that Wade and an ally on the police force are improperly shipping controlled substances, out of state. A “Transport Notice” issued last September (a copy of which was provided to Republic) announced that Detective Montgomery — who, along with Chief Wade, threatened Council member Martha Smith — planned to carry drug paraphernalia “to K-9 trainer Marcus Rynak” in Sterling, Colorado. Sources close to the Covington PD claim that a large amount of confiscated marijuana that should have been shipped to a Texas Department of Public Safety facility in Waco have been illegally diverted to Colorado.

Covington is one of several Texas communities that are dealing with drug-related municipal corruption:

*As Republic previously reported, Constable Fred Walker of Texas’s Shelby County allegedly ordered the illegal bugging of municipal officials in the village of Tenaha, which has been at the center of a multi-million-dollar drug asset forfeiture scam. Those charges were made in an affidavit filed by Roderette McClure, who was arrested last fall for breaking into the offices at Walker’s direction. McClure, who on February 14 pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, told FBI investigators that Constable Walker “had him install surveillance cameras disguised as smoke detectors and hidden voice-activated digital recording equipment in the offices of Tenana Mayor George Boyers and deputy city marshal Barry Washington,” reports the AP. “Walker said he wanted to `cover’ himself over the traffic stops, most of which were conducted by Washington….”

According to McClure’s affidavit, he and Walker ran a drug trafficking ring when Walker was City Marshal. They eventually embezzled roughly 500 pounds in contraband – including marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and hydrocone – from the Tenaha City Marshal’s office evidence room. In November 2010, the pair received an extortion threat from someone identifying himself as “Jack Frost” who said he was aware that Walker and McClure were stealing confiscated drugs and selling them. This led them to “stage a burglary as a cover for the missing drugs” – and then to install the listening devices in city office buildings in order to find out who was aware the City Marshall was moonlighting as a drug lord.

*In late February, Willie Gandara, Jr., a Commissioner in El Paso County, was arrested as part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into drug trafficking.The five-count federal indictment accuses Gandara – referred to in the document by the pseudonym “Godfather” — of possessing 110 pounds of marijuana and operating a so-called “stash house” for drug traffickers.

Last September, Willie Gandara, Jr., a County Commissioner in Texas’ El Paso County, assailed what he called “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who opposed the war on drugs. Such people, Gandara told the El Paso Times, are acting on an “ulterior motive.” Legalizing drugs, insisted Commissioner Gandara, is a coward’s approach to a social problem, as well as “an insult to our men and women in law enforcement, and the laziest form of parenting our children and youth about the effects of drugs.”

Gandara directed those remarks at aspiring legislative candidate Beto O’Rourke, who has advocated legalization of marijuana as a way of reducing the profits accumulated by Mexican drug cartels. The cartels have benefited enormously from drug prohibition, which amounts to a huge price support program for some of the most vicious criminal personalities in human history.

If the charges against Gandara are true, it’s likely that his attacks on drug war critics were inspired by a desire to preserve his illicit profits.

Shortly before Chief Laurence was arrested, Republic magazine made repeated efforts to contact him to respond to allegations that he — like Constable Walker and Commissioner Gandara — was playing both sides of the “War on Drugs.” He declined to answer our requests for information.

“I was proud to be a police officer, but I can understand why people in Covington are afraid of the police force and want to see it disbanded now,” Kayla Richardson lamented to Republic. “The police should be protecting people’s rights, not intimidating and threatening them.”

Go here for more coverage of events in Covington.

*The original version of this story incorrectly identified Mr. Burnett as the “Covington Fire Chief.” As he explains in a comment below, he’s not currently a fire chief, and the fire department is not part of Covington’s municipal government. I regret the error, and appreciate Mr. Burnett’s correction. — WNG

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Implement citizen privilege access prohibitions alongside allowing ANY and ALL drugs – but instead of jail or fines, discourage in the manner of removal of citizen privileges below :

BEGINS USE OF TYPE OF DRUGS AT AGE :

Synthetics and Organics 60+ May not drive, Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army. May stand for election, reason being they just started and a 2 term stint in government will not be long enough for any organics to really cause any damage, especially if use is not excessive
Required psyche/cognition tests every 2 years / once above 70, checks every year

Organics Only 35 and below Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election
Requires psyche/cognition tests every 1 year after age 60, once above 75, checks every yearOrganics Only 21 and below Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election, Barred from health insurance
Requires psyche/cognition tests every 3 years after age 45, once above 60, checks every year